-^i^ 


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'M  \ 


MEMOIRS 


Of    the 


LIVES,  CHARACTERS   and  WRITINGS 


OF      THOSE     TWO     EMINENTLY      PIOUS      AND     USEFUL 
MINISTERS    OF     JeSUS    CkRIST, 


Dr,    ISAAC    V/  At  T  B 


AH  D 


Dr.    PHILIP   DODDRIDGE, 


\m 


PRINTED  AT  BOSTON, 
BY  PETER  EDES  for  DAFID  WEST. 


MDCCXCIII, 


ADVERTISEMENT. 

1  H  E  Life  of  Dr.  Watts  is  compiled 
from  the  accounts  of  him  and  his  writ^ 
ings  publilhed  by  ye7inings^  Gibbo7iSy 
yohnfo?!^  and  Palmer  ;  and  from  manu- 
fcript  Letters  in  the  poffeffion  of  the 
Hiftorical  Society  in  Bojlon. 

An  Appendix  is  added,  containing 
feveral  of  Dr.  Watts's  Effays  in  verfe  and 
profe,  which  have  not  before  been  print- 
ed in  America.      And 

An  authentic  account  of  his  laft  fen-- 
timents  on  the  do&ine  of  the  Trinity^ 
by  Samuel  Palmer. 

The  Life  of  Dr.  Doddridge  is  writ-- 
ten  by  Dr.  Andrew  Kippis. 


A 


MEMOIRS 


OF      THE 


Life,  Character,  and  Writing 


OF 


Dr.    ISAAC     IF  A  "t  "T  S. 


1  H  E  life  of  Dr.  Watts  is  more  InftrudiVe 
from  the  bnghtnefs  of  his  example  than  enter- 
taining from  any  variety  of  incidents.  This  de- 
fed:  is  partly  owing  to  the  nature  of  his  employ- 
ment ;  partly  to  a  long  continued  infirmity  of 
body,  which  obliged  him  to  hve  retired  from  the 
world,  and  partly  to  a  refolution  which  he  had 
taken  not  to  leave  behind  him  any  memorials 
from  which  a  narrative  of  his  life  might  be  com.- 
piled.  It  was  his  choice  that  His  cbarader  might 
^  3  appear 


6  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Vv^'atts. 

appear  from  his  printed  works,  and  not  from  any 
private  papers.  His  friends,  to  whom  he  com- 
mitted the  care  of  publifhinghis  books,  were  ex~ 
pre/sly  prohibited  from  making  a  colledion  of 
his  letters,  which  might  eafily  have  been  done 
foon  after  his  death. -'''  The  .materials  from  which 
any  account  of  his  Hfe  can  he  compofed  are  there- 
fore few ;  they  exhibit  a  vigorous  mind  in  a  weak 
body ;  a  character  amiable  and  worthy  of  imita- 
tion. 

He  was  born  at  Southampton  on  the  17th  of 
July,  1674,  and  was  the  eldeft  of  nine  children. 
His  father  Isaac  Watts,  was  a  man  of  con- 
fiderable  learning,  and  was  keeper  of  a  boarding 
fchool.  His  parents  were  eminent  for  religion, 
and  were  fufferers  for  confcience  fake  in  the  per- 
fccution  raifed  againil:  the  nonconformifts  by 
Charles  IL 

The  uncommon  genius  of  their  fon  appeared 
early.  He  began  to  learn  Latin  at  four  years 
old  ',  and  made  a  fwift  progrefs  in  that  and  the 
Greek  language,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Pin- 
horn  e,  a  clergyman  of  the  eftabli(hed  church, 
snd  mafter  of  the  free  fchool  at  Southampton,  to 
v/hom  the  gratitude  of  his  fcholar  afterward  in- 

fcribed 


*  The  propriety  of  this  prohibition  is  evidenced  by  a  colleflion  of  \nz 
,V///rj  puWlilhed  in  1779,  with  other  pofihumous  works  j  which,  in  the 
^\,\x\]on  of  the  Monthly  Reviewers,  *'  ought  rather  to  have  been  committed 
to  the  flames  than  (ent  to  the  prels." 

Many  of  them  related  to  a  controverfy  between  him  and  Mr.  Thomas 
Bradbury,  »  dilfenting  minifier  in  London.  Bradbury  was  a  man  of 
wit  and  fpiecn.  In  liis  n^erry  nioments  he  would  laugh  at  fome  of 
Watts's  hymns  ;  and  in  his  fplenetic  and  zealous  liours  would  abufe  his 
principles  and  call  in  queltion  his  orthodoxy.  Watts  acknowledged  the 
rpiightlinefs  of  his  antagonilt,  buf  thought  his  wit  vain  and  licentious^ 
and  called  in  quedion  his  veracitv.  Jt  was  a  mere  perfonal  quarrel  ot  no 
confequence  to  the  public,  '  Mon.  Rcview;,  1779.  p.  43^» 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  ^ 

fcribed  a  Latin  ode.  It  was  written  at  the  age 
of  twenty,  and  is  inferted  among  his  Lyric  Po- 
ems. 

He  was  foon  taken  notice  of  for  the  fpright- 
linefs  of  his  wit,  as  well  as  for  his  proficiency  in 
his  ftudles,  and  a  fubfcription  was  propofed  for 
his  education  at  one  of  the  univerfities.  But  his 
inclination  to  take  his  lot  with  the  diffenters 
made  him  decline  this  offer  ;  and  in  the  year 
1690,  at  the  age  of  fixteen,  he  was  fent  to  Lon- 
don for  academical  education,  under  the  care  of 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Rowe,  to  whom  alfo,  he  has 
infcribed  an  ode  among  his  Lyric  verfes.  Som.e 
Latin  effays,  fuppofed  to  have  been  written  as  ex- 
ercifes  at  this  academy,  fliow  a  degree  of  know- 
ledge both  philofophical  and  theological,  to 
which  very  few  perfons  attain  by  a  much  longer 
courfe  of  fludy. 

He  was,  as  he  hints  in  his  mifcellanles,  a 
maker  of  verfes  from  the  age  of  fifteen  to  fifty, 
and  in  his  youth  he  gave  attention  to  Latin  po- 
etry. His  verfes  to  his  brother  in  the  glyconic 
meafure,  written  at  fcventeen,  are  remarkably 
eafy  and  elegant.  Some  of  his  other  odes  are 
deformed  by  the  Pindaric  folly  then  prevailing, 
and  are  written  with  fuch  negligence  of  all  me- 
trical rules  as  is  without  example  among  the  an- 
cients ;  but  his  diction  J  though  not  always  ex- 
actly pure,  has  fach  copioufnefs  and  fplendor  as 
fhows  that  he  was  not  far  from  excellence. 

His  method  of  ftudy  was  fometimes  to  imprefs 

the    contents  of   books  upon  his    memory  by 

abridging  them ;  at  other  times  to  write  remarks 

'in  the  m.argin  and  blank  knaves  3   to  Hats  his  ob-^ 

A  4.  iedions  . 


8  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts, 

jedions  to  what  he  thought  exceptionable  ;  to 
illuftrate  and  confirm  what  appeared  juft,  and  to 
infert  his  opinion  of  the  whole  performance. 
This  method  he  has  recommended  to  ftudents 
in  his  book  of  the  Improvement  of  the  Mind. 

Having  an  early  impreffion  of  the  truth  and 
importance  of  religion  on  his  mind,  he  was 
guarded  againft  the  follies  of  youth  ;  his  condudt 
whilft  at  the  academy,  was  not  only  fo  inoffen- 
five  that  his  tutor  declared  he  never  once  had  oc- 
cafion  to  reprove  him  ;  but  it  was  fo  exemplary 
as  to  be  frequently  propofed  to  the  other  ftudents 
for  their  imitation.  Among  thefe  were  John 
Hughes,  the  poet,  Dr.  Josiah  Hort,  after- 
wards archbifliop  of  Tuam  in  Ireland,  to  whom 
one  of  his  Lyric  pieces  is  infcribed,  and  Samuel 
Say,  a  diffenting  clergyman  of  Weftminfter, 
vvhofe  poems  were  publifhed  by  Duncombe. 

In  his  nineteenthyear(i693)  he  joined  in  com- 
munion with  the  church,  of  which  his  tutor  was 
the  worthy  paftor.  The  next  year,  having  fin- 
ifted  his  academical  courfe,  he  returned  to  his 
father's  houfe  at  Southampton  ;  where  he  fpent 
two  years  more  in  ftudy  and  devotion,  preparato- 
ry to  his  entering  on  the  work  of  the  gofpel  min- 
iftry,  to  v;hich  he  was  determined  to  devote  his 
life  ;  and  of  the  importance  of  which  he  had  a 
deep  fenfe  on  his  mind.  His  father  treated  him 
xvith  the  greateft  tendernefs,  and  had  the  plea- 
fure  of  living  to  fee  him  eminent  for  literature, 
and  venerable  for  piety  and  ufefulnefs. 

In  1696  he  was  invited  by  the  learned  and  pi- 
ous Sir  John  Hartopp  to  refide  in  his  family 
as  a  tutor  to  his  fon.     Here  he  continued  four 

ye^rs, 


MEMOIRS  OF  Dr.  Watts.  9 

years,  and  his  behaviour  was  fo  engaging  as  to 
win  the  afFedions  of  the  family,  and  lay  a  found- 
ation for  that  intimate  friendfhip  which  fabfifted 
between  him  and  his  pupil  to  the  day  of  his  death. 
To  this  gentleman  he  dedicated  two  of  his  Lyric 
odes,  in  one  of  which  he  recommends  early  rtjingy 
as  a  neceifary  means  of  diligence  and  ufefulnefs.^ 

Whilft  he  affiiled  the  fludies  of  his  pupil  he 
did  not  neglcfl  his  own  ;  but  befides  thofe 
branches  of  fcience  in  which  he  inftrudled  him^, 
he  diligently  fludied  the  fcriptures  in  the  origin- 
al languages,  and  the  bed  commentators  ancient 
and  modern. 

He  began  to  preach  on  the  day  which  com- 
pleted the  twenty-fourth  year  of  his  age  (1698) 
and  in  the  fame  year  he  was  chofen  affiftant  to 
Dr.  Isaac  Chauncy,'!'  then  paftor  of  the  dif- 
ienting  church  in  Eerryflreet,  London.  His 
public  labors  met  with  general  acceptance  ;  but 
v/ere  foon  after  interrupted  by  a  threatening  ill- 
nefs  of  five  months  continuance,  which  was 
brought  on  him  by  his  clofe  application  to  fludy, 
and  his  fervor  in  preaching.  This  however  did 
not  difcourage  him  from  returning  to  his  work 
as  foon  as  his  health  was  reftored. 

In  January   170 1,  he  received  a  Call  from  that 
church  to  fucceed  Dr,  Chauncy  in  the  paftoral 

office, 

•  **  Live  my  dear  Hartopp,  live  to  day, 
Nor  let  tlie  I'un  look  down  and  i'iy 

Inglorious  here  he  lies  5 
Shake  off  your  eafe  and  {zin\  your  n^me 
To  immortnlity  and  fHme 
By  e-Vrj  hour  that  ilies." 

•f  Ke  waft-fon  of  Charles  Chaut^icy,   Prelldent  of  Harvaid  ColUge 
in  Nc^jv. England,  where  i)e  received  h.s  eduraiion,    an<i   grandt'uher  o    liiC 

jAtf  Di,  Qn^^L^•i  CiiauncV;  p^dtvr  of  tii?  nrit  dunch  ii;  Bolion. 


lo  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

office,  of  which  he  fignified  his  acceptance  ori 
the  day  that  King  William  died.  This  cir- 
cumflance  is  particularly  noted  by  Dr.  Jen- 
nings as  an  ad  of  chriftian  heroifm,  becaufe  of 
the  difcouraging  profpedt  which  that  event  gave 
to  men  of  his  profeffion,  and  the  fears  with 
which  it  filled  the  hearts  of  proteftant  diflenters 
at  that  time,  when  toleration  was  fo  infecurely 
eftabliflied  that  the  exiftence  of  it  depended  on 
mere  cafualty.  But  he  had  *^  fet  his  hand  to  the 
plough^  and  would  not  look  back."  Accord- 
ingly he  was  ordained  on  the  i8th  of  Marchj 
1702. 

The  joy  of  his  church  in  their  happy  fettle- 
ment  was  foon  clouded  by  a  fecond  fevere  illnefs 
which  liiid  him  by  for  fometime,  and  from  which 
he  recovered  by  flow  degrees.  This  made  it  ne- 
cefTary  for  his  church  to  provide  an  alTiftant,  and 
Mr  Samuel  Price  ^"  was  chofen  to  that  fervice 
in  July  1703.^ 

Though  relieved  in  part  of  his  public  labours^, 
his  health  remained  very  fluduating  and  uncer- 
tain  for  fevcral  years  ;  but  as  it  returned  he  re- 
newed his  diligence  in  fulfilling  his  miniftry. 
His  congregation  was  edified  by  his  public  dif- 
courfcs,  and  by  his  entertaining  and  profitable 
converfation  in  his  private  vifits.  This  was  a 
feafon  of  the  befl  health  which  he  ever  enjoyed j, 
and  during  this  time  he  formed  a  private  foicety 
of  the  younger  perfons  in  his  congregation,  to 
which  he  delivered  the  fubftance  of  that  exccller^t 
book  which  he  afterward  publiflied  under  th^ 
title  of  **  A  Guide  to  Prayer." 

That 

♦  Uncle  to  ilic  late  Dr.  Richard  Pr.iCE,  cf  J|ackr.cr. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  h 

That  the  utmoft  harmony  and  affedion  fub-^ 
iifted  between  him  and  his  congregation  appears 
from  his  own  words  in  the  dedication  of  the  firft 
volume  of  his  fermons  to  them.  *'  I  can  pro- 
nounce it,  with  the  greatelT:  fincerity,  that  there 
is  no  place,  nor  company,  nor  employment,  on 
this  fide  heaven,  which  can  give  me  fuch  a  re- 
liih  of  delight,  as  when  I  ftand  miniftring  holy 
things  in  the  midft  of  you."  *^  Your  forward 
kindnefs  hath  always  forbidden  my  requefts,  nor 
do  I  remember  that  you  ever  gave  me  leave  to 
aflc  any  think  for  myfelf  at  your  hands,  by  your 
conftant  anticipation  of  all  that  I  could  reafcna- 
biy  defire." 

In  the  pulpit,  though  his  low  ftature,  which 
very  little  exceeded  five  feet,  gave  him  no  advan- 
tage of  appearance,  yet  the  gravity  and  propriety 
of  his  utterance  rendered  his  difcourfes  folemn 
and  afi^eccing.  Dr.  Johnson  has  faid  that  he 
once  mentioned  the  reputation  which  *'  modeft 
Foster''  had  gained  by  his  proper  delivery,  to 
his  friend  Hawkes worth,  who  told  him  that 
in  the  art  of  pronunciation  he  was  far  inferior  to 
Dr.  Watts,  Mr.  Palmer,  in  his  notes  on 
Johnfon,  queftions  the  juPcice  of  this  afl^ertion. 

Such  was  his  fiow  of  thought,  and  fuch  the 
promptitude  of  his  language,  that  in  his  advan- 
ced flage  of  life,  he  did  not  pre-compofe  Iiis 
common  fermons  ;  but  having  adjufled  the 
heads,  and  iketched  out  fome  particulars,  he 
trufled  fcr  the  rcfi  to  his  extemporaneous  pow- 
ers. 

He  did  not  endeavour  to  ailifl:  his  eloquence 
by  any  eefticulations ;  fora^^  no  corporeal  adlions 

have 


12  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

have  any  correfpondence  with  theological  truth, 
he  did  not  fee  how  it  could  be  enforced  by  them. 

At  the  conclufion  of  weighty  fentences,  both 
in  preaching  and  prayer,  he  gave  time,  by  a  fhort 
paufe,  for  the  proper  impreffion.  His  prayers 
were  direft  addrefles  to  the  Deity,  not  in  florid 
expreflions  or  in  long  and  involved  fentences, 
but  in  eafy  language  and  fhort  periods.  They 
comprehended  every  proper  fabjedl,  yet  with 
fuch  brevity  and  pertinency  of  expreflion,  that, 
at  the  conclufion,  it  was  difficult  to  conceive 
what  more  or  lefs  could  have  been  faid  on  each 
fubjed. 

He  often  prefled  on  his  hearers  the  duties  of 
fobriety,  juftice,  and  charity  ;  but  the  invv^ard 
and  fpiritual  parts  of  religion,  and  the  fecret  com- 
munion between  God  and  the  foul,  took  up  a 
much  larger  fhare  of  his  difcourfes.  He  aimed 
to  refcue  thefe  exercifes  from  the  charge  of  en- 
thufiafm,  and  to  place  them  in  fuch  a  light  as 
might  fhow  their  pcrfedt  confiflency  with  reafoa 
and  common  fenfe. 

Though  exempt  in  almoft  every  fenfe  of  the 
term  from  mental  infirmity,  he  v/as  the  contin- 
ual vi(ftim  of  bodily  weaknefs  ;  his  beft  fchemes 
and  moll  favourite  exercifes  being  perpetually  in- 
terrupted by  it.  In  the  m.onth  of  September-, 
1712,  he  v/as  feized  with  a  violent  fever  which 
ihook  his  conftitution  exceedingly,  and  termina- 
ted in  fuch  a  v/eaknefs  of  the  nerves  as  mads  him 
iuhjex^t  to  the  hypochondria  during  the  remainder 


of  h 

is 

life. 

The 

agit< 

ation 

of  his 

fpirits 

during 

this 

cknef: 

S  the 

ftate 

of  hi 

s  mind, 

,  and  t 

!ie  cir~ 

t  uii: 

il: 

.inces 

of  his 

rccc 

very, 

are  adn 

:iirabiy 

deline- 
ated 

Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts,  13 

ated  in  a  poetical  effay  which  is  fubjoined  to 
thefe  memoirs. 

One  confequence  of  this  ficknefs  v/as,  in  the 
opinion  of  Dr.  Watts,  a  fufficient  compenfation 
for  all  the  miferies  which  he  endured.  It  was 
the  means  of  introducing  him  to  the  family  of 
an  excellent  perfon.  Sir  Thomas  Abney,  alder- 
man of  London,  who,  on  a  moft  generous  prin- 
ciole,  invited  him  to  his  houfe  whilft  in  a  low 
and  languifhing  flate ;  where,  for  thirty-fix  years, 
he  was  treated  with  all  the  tendernefs  of  friend- 
fhip,  and  all  the  attention  and  refpedl  which  po- 
litenefs,  aided  by  an  ample  fortune,  could  didlate. 
Sir  Thomas  died  in  about  eight  years  after  the 
Dodlor's  coming  to  refide  in  his  family  ;  but  he 
continued  with  his  lady  and  her  daughters  to 
the  end  of  his  life,  and  the  lady  died  in  a  year 
after  him. ^  An  elegiac  ode  on  the  death  of  Sir 
Thomas  is  in  the  appendix. 

In  that  delightful  retirement,  without  any  care 
of  his  own,  he  had  every  thing  which  could  con- 
tribute to  the  enjoyment  of  life,  and  favour  the 
purfuit  of  his  ftudies.  He  had  the  privilege  of 
the  country  air  and  elegant  gardens  at  Theobalds 
in  Hertfordfhire,  twelve  miles  from  London  ^ 
he  faw  company,  or  lived  reclufe,  as  beft  fuited 
his  inclination,  and  the  delicacy  of  his  nervous 
fyftem.  It  was  not  till  06lober  1716  that  he 
was  able,  in  any  degree,  to  refume  his  public 
miniftry  ^  and  in  the  mean  time,   his  affiftant, 

Mr. 


*  The  laft  branch  of  this  amiable  family,  Elizabeth  Abney,  died 
at  Stoke  Newington  in  1782.  Her  cbarafler  for  piety,  prudence  and  benev, 
olence,  was  worthy  of  one  who  had  enjoyed  the  inUiuftlons  and  cxampi* 
of  Dr.  Watts,  Falmf.r, 


14         Memoirs  of  Dk.  Watts. 

Mr.  Price,  was,  at  his  defireand  upon  his  re- 
commendation, chofen  by  the  church  to  be  his 
colleague,  and  was  ordained  on  the  3d  of  March, 
I J 12'  '^^^  inviolable  friendfliip  which  fubfifted 
between  them  is  evidenced  by  a  claufe  in  the 
Dodor's  will,  in  which  he  ftyles  him  *'  his  faith- 
ful friend  and  companion  in  the  labours  of  the 
miniflry,"  and  leaves  him  a  legacy  **  as  only  a 
fmall  teftimony  of  his  great  afFedtion  for  him, 
Qn  account  of  his  fervices  of  love  during  the  ma- 
ny harmonious  years  of  their  fellowship  in  the 
work  of  the  gofpel/' 

From  the  time  of  his  reception  into  the  kind 
and  hofpitable  family  of  Abney,  his  life  was  no 
otherwife  diverfified  than  by  a  fucceffion  of  valu- 
able publications,  and  his  attention  to  his  mini- 
fterial  fundions  when  his  health  permitted.* 
He  conftantly  devoted  ontjifth  -f*  part  of  his  in- 
come to  charitable  purpofes  -,  and  when  by  the 
infirmities  of  his  advanced  age,  he  was  no  long- 
er capable  of  public  duty,  he  generoufly  offered 
to  remit  his  falary,  but  his  congregation,  with 
equal  generofity,  refufed  to  accept  the  offer. 

In  1728,  the  univerfities  of  Edinburgh  and 
Aberdeen,  in  a  moft  refpedful  manner,  and  with- 
out his  knowledge,  conferred  on  him  the  degree 
of  Dodtor  in  Divinity.  In 

*  ''As  faft  as  my  health  Incrcafej,  you  may  afTure  yourfelves  it  is  de» 
voted  to  your  edification.  It  otten  grieves  me  to  think  how  poor,  feeble 
and  fliort,  are  my  prefent  labours  among  you  j  and  yet  what  days  of 
faintnefs  I  generally  feel  after  fuch  an  attempt.  So  that  I  am  continu- 
ally prevented  in  my  defign  of  fucceflive  vifits  io  you,  by  the  want  of 
a6live  fpirits,  whilft  I  tarry  in  the  city.  And  if  I  attempt  to  ftay  but 
a  week  or  ten  days  there,  I  find  a  fenfible  return  of  wcakncfs.  So  that 
^  I  am  conftrained  to  retire  to  the  country  air,  in  ordsr  to  recruit  and 
maintain  this  little  capacity  of  fervice." 

Pedicatlon  to  his  ift.  vol.  of  fcrmons. 

t  So  faith  Pn  Jennings,  but  Da.  Johnfon  faith  one  third. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  V/atts.  15 

In  the  fpring  of  1739,  he  had  a  paralytic 
fhock  which  feized  one  fide,  and  from  which  he 
flowly  recovered.  For  fome  time  before,  and 
always  after  this,  his  letters  were  dictated  by 
himfelf,  but  written  by  an  amanuenfis. 

His  laft  ficknefs  w^as  rather  a  decay  of  nature, 
worn  out  with  infirmity  and  labour,  than  any 
particular  diftemper.  His  weaknefs  increafed 
by  degrees,  and  at  length  confined  him  to  his 
chamber  and  his  bed,  where  gradually  finking, 
he  at  laft  died  without  pain,  on  the  25th  of  No- 
vember, 1748,  in  the  75th  year  of  his  age. 

Toward  the  clofe  of  life  the  adlive  and  fpright- 
ly  powers  of  his  mind  failed  ;  yet  his  confidence 
in  God,  through  the  mediation  of  Jefus  Chrift, 
remained  unfhaken.  He  was  heard  to  fay,  **  I 
blefs  God,  I  can  lie  down  with  comfort  at  night, 
not  being  folicitous  whether  I  awake  in  this 
world  or  another.'' — *'  I  fhould  be  glad  to  read 
more,  not  to  be  more  confirmed  in  the  truth 
of  the  Chriftian  Religion  or  of  its  promifes  ;  for 
I  believe  them  enough  to  venture  an  eternity 
upon  them."  When  he  was  almoft  broken 
down  by  his  infirmities,  he  obferved  in  conver- 
fation  with  a  friend,  that  "  he  remembered  an 
aged  minifter  who  ufed  to  fay  that  the  moft  learn- 
ed and  eminent  chriftians,  when  they  come  to 
die,  have  only  the  fame  plain  promifes  of  the 
gofpel  for  their  fupport  as  the  comm.on  and  un-. 
learned.  So,  faid  he,  I  find  it.  The  plain 
promifes  of  the  gofpel  are  my  fupport,  and  I 
blefs  God  that  they  are  plain  promifes,  that  do 
not  require  much  labor  and  pains  to  underftand 
them  3  for  I  can  do  nothing  now  but  look  into 

mv 


t6  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts* 

my  bible  for  fome  promife  to  fupport  me,  and 
live  upon  that/' 

When  he  found  his  temper  tending  to  impa- 
tience and  ready  to  complain,  that  he  could  lead 
only  a  mere  animal  life,  he  would  check  him-^ 
felf  thus. — **  The  bufinefs  of  a  chriflian  is  to  bear 
the  will  of  God  as  well  as  to  do  it.  If  I  were 
in  health  I  could  only  be  doing  it  ;  and  I 
may  bear  it  now.  The  beft  thing  in  obedience  is 
a  regard  to  the  will  of  God  ;  and  the  way  to  that 
is  to  get  our  inclinations  and  averfions  as  much 
as  poffible  mortified."  With  fuch  a  calm  and 
peaceful  mind,  and  with  fuch  a  lively  hope  did 
this  faithful  fervant  wifli  for  the  fummons,  and 
enter  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord. 

As  a  man.  Dr.  Watts  was  certainly  a  nioft 
amiable  and  excellent  charadler.  Could  ap- 
plaufe  chcrifh  the  laurels  which  candor  and  piety 
have  placed  on  his  brow,  they  would  flourifli 
with  immortal  verdure.  Pure  and  undifl'embled 
fiety  was  the  fettled  habit  of  his  mind.  Though 
he  loved  and  enjoyed  much  retirement,  yet  he 
did  not  contradl  any  thing  of  an  affedled  flifFnefs 
or  monkiih  aufterity  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  the 
pleafure  and  fatisfad:ion  which  he  found  in  com- 
munion with  God  in  folitude,  made  him  the 
more  eafy  and  cheerful  in  his  converfe  with 
men. 

His  hiimiUty  was  like  a  deep  fliade  to  {tt  oiF 
his  other  virtues,  and  made  them  fhine  with  a 
brighter  luftre.  Though  by  his  natural  temper 
he  was  quick  in  refentment,  yet  by  his  fixed 
habit  he  was  gentle  and  inoffenfive.  This  ac- 
quired habit  had  no  fmall  efFeft  in  forming  his 

fentimentSc 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watt§.         17 

fentlments.  For  he  thought  he  could  not  be 
laid  too  low,  as  a  creature  or  a  fmner,  that  he 
might  do  honor  to  the  pei-fedions  and  grace  of 
God.  From  this  principle,  in  a  great  meaiure, 
rofc  that  high  efteem  which  he  had  for  the 
chriftian  difpenlatiort,  fo  apparently  calculated 
to  exalt  God  and  to  humble  man.  Nor  was 
his  humility  lefs  confpicuous  in  his  outward  be- 
ha*  ior  towards  others.  Hence  flowed  that  con- 
deibciition,  humanity  and  kindnefs,  which  could 
not  but  endear  him  to  all  w^ho  had  the  pleafure 
oi  converfing  v/ith  him,  and  which  rendered  him 
truly  venerable  in  a  much  higher  degree,  than  all 
the  honors  and  applaufes  which  he  received  from 
the  world. 

In  clofe  connexion  with  the  grace  of  humili- 
ty were  to  be  ktn.  his  ca?idor  and  charity ,  for 
which  he  was  remarkably  eminent.  The  love 
which  he  bore  to  his  Saviour  induced  him  cor- 
dially to  embrace  all  whom  he  eftcemed  his  gen- 
uine difciples.  No  party  names,  no  variety  of 
fentiments  in  matters  of  doubtful  difputation,  nor 
of  praftice  in  mode  of  wordiip,  could  divide  him 
in  aftedion  from  fuch  as  he  had  reafon  to  hope 
loved  Chrift  in  fincerity.  He  therefore  main- 
tained a  free  and  friendly  correfpondence  with 
chriftians  of  various  parties  and  denominations.^ 

B  Though 

*  In  one  of  his  letters  to  Dr,  Colman,  after  thanking  him  forhls  pi^ure, 
he  fays,  *'  i  have  put  it  in  a  frame  that  it  may  hang  in  the  fame  rank 
wi;h  Dr.  Increase  and  Dr.  Cotton  Mather,  in  the  front  of  my  (lud). 
I  have  there  ne^r  eighty  phiiofophers  and  divines  furrounding  me  j  their 
fpirits  are  copied  in  their  boolcs,  and  their  faces  adorn  my  beloved 
place  of  retirement.  There  Heathens  and  Chriftians,  Papift*  and  Profef- 
ants,  Calvinifts  and  Arniiniansj  Prefbyterians  and  Epifcspalians,  sli 
meet  in  filence  and  peace.  Were  you  to  fee  my  cohabitants,  you  tvculi 
fay  I  was  a  man  of  cathoJicifm.  Moft  of  them  I  hope  to  meet  in  the 
.'f;::on?  of  peace  and  love,"  Sept,  i^?  1736, 


tZ  MENfoiRs  OF  Dr.  Watts. 

Though  he  judged  the  principles  of  the  mode-' 
r^tc  nonconformifts  moft  favorable  to  chriflian 
liberty,  and  the  rights  of  confcience,  and  their 
forms  of  worfhip  moft  agreeable  to  the  fimphcity 
of  the  gofpel,  yet  he  had  a  high  veneration  for 
the  perfons  and  writings  of  many  miniilers  and 
chriftians  of  the  eftablifhed  church,  as  many  of 
them  had  for  him  and  his  works. 

In  the  delineation  of  his  character  Dr.  John- 
fon  has  juftly  obferved,  *f  **  fuch  was  he  as  eve- 
ry chriftian  church  would  rejoice  to  have  adopt- 
ed." To  which  he  afterward  fubjoins.  **  Hap- 
py will  be  that  reader  whofe  mind  is  difpofed  by 
his  verfes  or  his  profe  to  imitate  him  in  all  but 
his  non-cojiformityy  to  copy  his  benevolence  to 
man  and  his  reverence  to  God." 

This  is  doubtlefs  the  higheft  praife  which  it 
was  in  the  power  of  fuch  a  man  as  Dr.  John- 
fon  to  beflow  ;  being  hirnfelf  a  pious  and  zealous 
member  of  the  epifcopal  communion  eftablifhed 
by  law  in  South  Britain,  he  thought  a  conformity 
to  that  church  effential  to  chriftian  perfedtion. 
But  to  other  good  men  v/ho  do  not  fee  perfec- 
tion thro*  that  medium,  the  non -conformity  of 
Dr.  Watts  is  fo  far  from  being  a  blemi(h  in  his 
charader,  that  it  is  really  an  evidence  of  his  hero- 
ic virtue.  Born  and  educated  among  the  diffent- 
ers  in  a  time  which  tried  men's  fouls,  he  had 
early  been  taught  to  fuffer  in  the  caufe  of  truth  ; 
and  he  could  not  think  lefs  favorably  of  the  piety 
and  finccrity  of  his  brethren  for  the  hum.iliating 
lelTons  which  they  had  learned  in  the  fchool  of 
perfecution.     Had  he  gone  over  to  the  cftablifli^ 

mcnt 

f  Lives  of  tb€  Poefs.  vol.  m. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts;  i^ 

mcnt  (efpecially  about  the  time  of  his  ordination), 
he  would  have  incurred  the  odium,  not  only  of 
feeking  his  perfonal  fafety  and  worldly  emolument 
by  deferting  his  brethren  in  a  time  of  danger, 
but  of  joining  the  party  who  had  in  their  hands  the 
power  of  oppreffing  them.  Such  views  as  thefe 
his  generous  foul  abhorred  ;  and  therefore  cir- 
cumftanced  as  he  was,  a  conformity  to  the  eftab- 
lifhment,  inftead  of  adding  lufire  to  his  character 
would  have  greatly  detracted  from  it.  Firm  to 
his  principles,  attached  to  his  brethren,  and  fear- 
lefs  of  perfonal  danger  ;  he  chofe  rather  to  fuffer 
afflidion  with  the  people  of  God,  than  to  bafk.- 
in  the  funftiine  of  courtly  favor  and  uand  candi- 
date for  ecclefiaftical  dignities. 

But  his  choice  was  not  merely  the  refult  ol 
prejudice  or  attachment.  He  had  candidly  and 
thoroughly  examined  the  controverfy,  and  was 
perfuadedin  his  own  mind,  that  a  diffent  from  th(2 
cllablifhed  church  w^as  v/arrantable  and  fafe.  His 
ideas  of  religious  liberty  wxre  generous,  and  his 
candor  toward  other  men  extenfive  ;  but,  for 
himfelf,  he  preferred  the  original  fimplicity  of 
gofpel  inftitutions  to  tlie  ornaments  and  inven- 
tions of  later  ages.  His  ideas  on  this  head  can- 
not be  better  explained  than  in  a  (I'lovt  and  elegant 
effaypublifhed  among  his  poflhumous  works,  in- 
titled,  **  The  Diamond  Painted/'  which  may  be 
ften  in  the  appendix. 

Though  Dr.  Watts  pafTed  his  whole  life  in  a 
ftate  of  celibacy,  yet  it  is  evident,  from  feveral  of 
his  poems,  particularly  thofeon  Queen  Mary  and 
Lady  Sunderland,  that  he  was  far  from  being  in- 
leafibie  to  female  charms ;  and  from  his  '[  In- 
B  2  dun 


20  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

dfan  Philofopher,"  that  he  had  no  averfibn  to  an 
Union  with  the  fex.  His  almolt  continual  ill 
heahh  may  jiiftly  be  affigned  as  the  principal  caufe 
of  his  not  entering  into  the  married  flate.  He 
had  a  particular  friendfhip  for  Mifs  Singer,  the 
celebrated  Philomela,  whofe  age  was  the  fame 
with  his  own.  This  connedtion  is  placed  in  a 
ridiculous  light  by  Dr.  Young,  in  one  of  his 
fatires,  '^'  which  is  the  more  ungenerous  as  Watts 
has,  in  feveral  parts  of  his  writings,  mentioned 
Young  and  his  compofitions  w^ith  refped:and  ad- 
miration. The  late  Dr.  Colman  of  Bofton, 
who  was  intimately  acquainted  both  with  Dr. 
Watts  and  Mifs  Singer,  ufed  to  tell  this  ilory  ; 
that  after  long  hefitation  and  delay,  Dr.  Watts 
ventured  to  declare  to  Mifs  Singer  bis  affeSion 
for  her  and  to  aflc  her  hand ;  to  which  he  re- 
ceived an  anfwer  which  muft  have  mortified  him 
extremely  ;  that  Ihe  had  long  expefted  his  ad- 
dreffes,  but  had  on  the  preceding  day  given  her 
confent  to  the  felicitation  of  Mr.  Rowe.  The 
date  of  her  marriage  with  this  gentleman  (1710) 
currefponds  with  the  time  in  which  Dr.  Watts 
enjoyed  his  beit  health. 

Few  men  have  left  behind  them  fuch  purity  of 
charadlcr,  or  fuch  monuments  of  laborious  piety. 
He  has  provided  inftrudlion  for  all  ages  ;    from 

thofc 

•  "  Isaac,  n  broiher  of  the  canting  fliain. 

When  h.e  has  knoclcM  ai  bis  own  Iknll  In  vain, 
To  beauteous  MaRCIA  often  will  rrpair 
With  a  ilnik.  text,  to  Ij^Ju  it  at  I'le  (air. 
O  how  !i)s  piovis  foul  txults  to  fintl 
Such  Ifive  for  holy  men  in  woman  kind  ! 
ChannM  with  lier  learning,  with  what  rapture  he 
Han^.s  on  her  'oloom,  like  an  imluflrious  bee  ; 
Hums  ro'ind  about  her,  and  with  .ill  his  power 
-£xtrads  Ivvc^jt  wildom  from  fo  fair  a  flower." 

Uuivcrfiil  PaflloJ^  Sat.  T. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.   Watts.  21 

thofe  who  are  lifplng  their  firft  leffons  to  the 
profound  inquirers  into  moral  philofophy.  He 
has  left  neither  corporeal  nor  fpiritual  nature  un- 
examined ;  he  has  taught  theartof  reafoning  and 
the  fcience  of  the  ftars.  For  the  benefit  of  chil- 
dren he  condefcended  to  lay  afide  the  fcholar,  the 
philofopher  and  the  wit,  to  write  little  poems  of 
devotion  and  fyftems*  of  inftrudion  adapted  to 
their  wants  and  capacities,  from  the  dawn  of 
reafon  through  its  gradations  of  advance  in  the 
morning  of  life.  Every  man  acquainted  with 
the  common  principles  of  human  adlion,  will 
look  with  veneration  on  the  writer  who  is  at 
one  time  combating  Locke,  and  at  another  maic- 
ing  a  catechifm  for  children  in  their  fourth  year, 
A  voluntary  defcent  from  the  dignity  of  fciencq 
is  perhaps  the  hardeft  lefibn  which  humility  caa 
teach. 

A^  bis  mind  was  capacious,  his  curlofity  ex- 
curfivc',  and  his  induftry  continual,  his  writings 
are  very  numerous,  and  his  fubjeils  various.  His 
charadter,  as  an  author^  mufl  therefore  be  form- 
ed from,  the  multiplicity  and  diverfity  of  his  at- 
tainments, rather  than  from  any  fingle  perform- 
ance. It  would  not  be  Mc  to  claim  for  him  the 
higheft  rank  in  any  fingle  denomination  of  lite- 
rary dignity  3  yet  perhaps  there  wa?  nothing  in 
which  he  would  not  have  excelled  if  he  had  not 
divided  his  powers  to  different  purfuits. 

As  a  poef,  had  he  been  only  a  poet,  he  would 
have  flood  high  among  authors  of  that  clafs. 
His  judgment  was  exadl,  and  he  noted  beauties 
and  faults  with  very  jiice  difcernm.ent.  His  im- 
agination was  vigorous  and  adlive^  and  the  ftores 
B  -:  ox 


22  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

of  knowledge  were  large  by  which  his  imagina- 
tion wTre  fupplied.  His  ear  was  wxll  tuned,  and 
his  diction  v/as  elegant  and  copious.  But  his 
devotional  poetry  is  (in  the  opinion  of  Dr.  John- 
fon)  unfatisfadtory.  The  paucity  of  its  topics  en- 
forces perpetual  repetition,  and  the  fandlity  of  its 
matter  rejects  the  ornaments  of  figurative  di6lion, 
**It  is  fufRcient/'  fays  this  critic,  'Hhat  Watts 
hath  done  better  than  others,  what  no  man  has 
done  well." 

The  propriety  of  thefe  remarks  has  been  con- 
troverted. ''There  is  no  fubjed,'*  fays  Mr. 
Palmer,  *'  whofc  topics  are  fo  various  as  thofe 
which  religion  fupplies,  or  which  are  better 
adapted  to  admit  of  poetical  images.  Religion 
comprehends  all  the  perfedtions  and  w^orks  of  the 
Deity,  the  wonders  of  nature  and  Providence^ 
and  the  greater  wonders  of  grace  and  redemption  ; 
the  incarnation,  life,  miracles,  fufFerings,  death 
and  refurredion  of  the  Son  of  God  ;  the^awful 
icenes  of  mortality,  the  refurredion  of  the  dead, 
the  folemnity  of  the  future  judgment  and  of  eter- 
nity, as  well  as  the  fublime  virtues  of  piety  and 
benevolence.  Thefe  general  fubjeds,  with  all 
their  fubordinates,  fupply  an  infinite  variety  of 
topics,  and  adm.it  a  figurative  didion.  Witnefs 
the  fublime  compofures  of  the  facred  prophets, 
in  which  the  loftieft  images  and  boldeft  figures 
are  introduced  in  almoft  every  line." 

His  poems  on  other  fubjedts  feldom  rife  high- 
er than  might  have  been  expeded  from  the  amufe- 
ments  of  a  man  of  letters,  and  have  different  de- 
grees of  value  as  they  are  more  or  lefs  labored,  or 
as  the  occafion  was  more  or  left  favorable  to  in^ 
vention.  As 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  23 

Ashe  writes  often  without  regular  meafures, 
and  too  often  in  blank  verfe,  the  rhymes  are  not 
always  fufficiently  corrcfpondent.  His  lines  are 
commonly  fmooth  and  eafy,  and  his  thoughts  re- 
ligioully  pure.  He  is  at  leaft  one  of  thofe  few 
poets  v/ith  whom  the  young  and  unlearned  may 
be  fafely  pleafed. 

Of  his  pMofop/jIcal  works,  his  logic  as  well  as 
his  geography  and  aftronomy,  have  been  received 
into  the  univerfities  both  of  Britain  and  America, 
?inQ  therefore  need  no  further  recommendation. 
If  he  owes  any  thing  to  Le  Clerc,  it  m.ull  be 
confidered  that  no  m.an  who  undertakes  merely 
to  mcthodife  or  illuflratea  fyflem,  pretends  to  be 
its  author. 

In  his  metaphyfical  difquifitions,  it  was  cbferv- 
ed  by  the  late  learned  Mr.  Dyer,  that  he  con- 
founded  the  idea  of^/^ff  with  \k\zt  of  empty  fpace  % 
and  did  not  confider  that  though  fpace  might  be 
without  matter^,  yet  matter  could  not  be  without 
fpace. 

Few  books  have  been  perufed  by  the  judicious 
with  greater  pleafare  or  are  more  ufeful  than  his 
*'  Improvement  of  the  Mind ;"  of  which  the 
radical  principles  m.ay  indeed  be  found  in  Locke's 
''  Ccndudt  of  the  Underftanding  ;"  but  they  are 
io  expanded  and  ramified  by  V/atts  as  to  confer 
upon  him  the  merit  of  a  work  in  the  higheft  de- 
gree uleful  and  pleafing.  V/hoever  has  the  care 
of  inftructing  others,  may  be  charged  with  de- 
ficience  in  his  duty  if  this  book  be  not  recom- 
mended. 

In  his  contro'^jerfial  works,  we  cannot  but  ad-. 
niire  the  mecknefs  of  his  oppolition  and  the  mild„ 
B  4  neft 


24         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts, 

nefs  of  his  eenfures.  It  was  not  only  in  his  book, 
but  in  his  mind,  that  orthodoxy  was  united  with 
chofity.  When  he  engaged  in  controverfy, 
it  was  evidently  with  a  view  to  heal  and  recon- 
cile dilputes  among  chriftians,  rather  than  to 
make  profelytes  to  any  party  :  however  any  may 
differ  from  him  in  judgment,  all  mufl  allow, 
that  he  wrote  on  fuch  occalions  with  a  fpirit  of 
moderation,  meeknefs  and  love,  which  was  truly 
exemplary.  This  moderation  hov/ever  expofed 
him  to  the  feverity  of  the  bigots  of  oppofitc  par- 
ties, who  are  generally  difpofed  to  give  no  quar- 
ter to  the  man  who  is  of  no  party.  Of  this  Dr. 
V/atts  was  fufliciently  fenfible,  and  it  was  fre- 
quently remarked  by  him,  that  '*  a  moderate  man 
niuft  expect  a  box  on  both  ears." 

Whatever  fubjeft  he  took  in  hand  was,  by  his 
inceflant  folicitude  for  fouls,  converted  to  theolo- 
gy. As  piety  predominated  in  his  mind,  it  is 
difFufed  overall  his  writings;  and  it  is  impoiTiblc 
to  read  a  page  in  his  works  without  learning,  or 
at  leaft  wiQiing  to  be  better. 

His  own  account  of  his  fermons  is  this,^  "I 
have  not  entertained  you  with  ledfcures  of  philof- 
ophy  inftead  of  the  gofpel  of  Chrift ;  nor  have  I 
affedled  that  eafy  indolence  of  ftyle,  which  is  the 
cold  and  iniipid  pleafure  of  men  who  pretend  to 
politenefs.  You  know  it  has  always  been  the 
bufinefs  ©f  my  miniflry  to  convince  and  per- 
fuade  your  fouls  into  pradical  godlinefs,  by  the 
cleareft  and  ftrongeft  reafons  derived  from  the 
gofpel,  and  by  all  the  mofl  moving  methods  of 
fpeech  of  which    I   was  capable  ;   but  ftill   in  a 

humble 

*  Dedication  of  his  ift  vol.  of  fermoni  to  hi'j  church. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  2^ 

feiimble  fubfervicncy  to  the  promlfed  infiaences 
of  the  holy  fpirit.  I  ever  thought  it  my  duty 
to  prefs  the  convidion  with  force  on  the  con- 
fci^nce,  when  light  was  firft  let  into  the  mind. 
A  ftatue  hung  round  v/ith  moral  fentences,  or  a 
marble  pillar  infcribed  with  divine  truth,  may 
coldly  preach  to  the  underftanding,  whilft  devo- 
tion freezes  at  the  heart  j  but  the  prophets  and 
apoftles  were  burning  and  finning  lights.  They 
v/ere  taught  by  infpiration  to  make  the  words  of 
truth  glitter  like  fun-beams,  and  to  operate  like 
a  two-edged  fword.  The  movements  of  facred 
pafiion  may  be  the  ridicule  of  an  age  which  pre- 
tends to  nothing  but  calm  reafoning.  Life  and 
zeal  in  the  miniftry  of  the  word  may  be  defpifed 
by  men  of  lukewarm  and  dying  religion.  Fer- 
vency of  fpirit  in  the  fervice  of  the  Lord,  may 
become  the  fcofr  and  jeft  of  the  critic  and  the 
profane  ;  but  this  very  life  and  zeal,  this  facred 
fervency  will  remain  a  bright  character  of  achrif- 
tian  preacher,  till  the  names  of  Paul  and  Apol- 
Los  perifh  from  the  church,  till  the  bible  and 
the  heavens  be  no  m.ore." 

The  fubftance  of  Dr.  Watts*s  character,  as 
drawn  by  Dr.  Gibbons,  is  this  :  **  His  truth  and 
fincerity  were  very  confpicuous.  There  was  no- 
thing in  him  which  could  be  ftyied  art  and  de- 
fign.  He  never  difcovered  in  his  behaviour  or 
converfation  any  thing  like  a  high  opinion  of 
himfelf,  nor  did  he  fnew  a  difpofition  to  traduce 
or  depreciate  the  charaders  and  abilities  of  otliers. 
In  meats  and  drinks  he  was  very  moderate.  There 
%vas  nothing  in  him  v\^hich  betrayed  a  penurious 
temper.     He  was  very  rich,  but  it  was  in  good 

works. 


26  Memoirs  of  Dr.  V/atts. 

works,   for  he  defired  not  to  lay  up  his  treafure 
on  earth,  but  in  heaven. 

''  He  never  difcovered  any  thing  like  a  furious 
zeal  or  a  narrow  decifive  fpirit ;  but  cordially  em- 
braced all  whom  he  efteemed  the  genuine  dilci-  . 
pies  of  his  Lord. 

**  His  foul,  which  glowed  with  gratitude  for 
the  favors  he  received,  was  alfo  eminent  for  its 
friendfhip.  He  was  nobly  avaricious  of  time, 
end  ever  watchful  to  improve  it." 

But  there  was  one  diftinguiihing  feature  In  his 
charad:er  which  both  Gibbons  and  Johnfpn  have 
entirely  paffed  over,  and  that  was  his  love  of  truth, 
and  his  freedom,  impartiaUty,  diligence  and  hu- 
mility in  his  inquiries  after  it.  It  is  indeed  a 
charadter  feldom  to  be  met  with,  though  of .  pe- 
culiar importance  in  a  chriflian  minifter,  and 
therefore  ought  to  be  noticed  with  particular  ap- 
probation. In  Dr.  Watts  it  was  confpicuous  in 
a  very  eminent  degree. 

''  In  matters  of  the  chriflian  faith,"  faith  he,^* 
*'  I  would  make  the  fcripture  my  guide  and  en- 
ter into  a  calm  conference  with  myfelf  in  a  fur- 
vey  of  the  oracles  of  God,  in  order  to  a  decifion 
of  the  fenfe  and  meaning  of  them,  not  neglediing 
the  afiiftance  of  pious  and  learned  authors,  but 
converfing  very  little  with  the  angry  and  fuper- 
cilious.  I  would  with  daily  importunity  addrefs 
the  Father  of  Lights  to  fhine  upon  his  own  v/ord, 
and  to  difcover  his  own  meaning.  I  would  hum- 
bly implore  the  fpirit  of  wifdom  and  revelation 
to  take  the  things  of  Chrifl,  and  ihew  them  to 
my   underftanding   in   a  mod  convincing  light. 

My 

*  Mifcellancous  Thoi^ghti,  No.  xlix. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  27 

My   rcafon   fhould  be  ufed  as  a  neceflary  inftru- 
ment  to  compare   the  leveral  parts  of  revelatioa 
together,  to  difcover  their  mutual  explication,  as 
well  as  to  judge  whether  they  run  counter  to  any 
dictates  of  natural  light.     But  if  an  inquifitive 
mind  overleap  the  bounds  of  faith,    and  give  the 
reins  to  all  our  reafonings  on  divine  themes,  in  fo 
wide  and  open  a  field  as  that  of  poiTibles  and  pro- 
bables,   it  is  no  eafy  matter  to  guefs   where  they 
will  flop.     I  have  made  the  experim.ent  of  this  in 
my  own   meditations,  v/hen  I    have  given   my 
thoughts  a  loofe  and  let  them  rove  without  con- 
finement.    Sometimes  I  feem  to  have  carried  rea- 
fon  with  mc  even  to  the  camp  of  Socinus  ;    but 
then  St.  John  gives   m^y  foul  a    twitch,  and  St. 
Paul  bears  m,e   back  again    (if  I  miftai^e  not  his 
meaning)   almoft    to  the  tents  of  john  Calvin, 
Nor  even  then  do  I  leave  my  reafon  behind  me. 
So  difHcult   a  thing  is    it  to   determine  by  mere 
reafoning,  thofe  points  which  can  be  learned  by 
icripture  only." 

In  his  advice  to  young  ftudents  he  cautions 
them  '^  agalnft  *'  interefling  their  warm  and  re- 
ligious zeal,  in  thofe  matters  which  are  not  fuf- 
ficiently  evident  in  themfelves,  or  which  are  not 
fully  examined  and  proved.  For  this  zeal,  whe- 
ther right  or  wrong,  when  it  is  once  engaged, 
will  have  a  pov/erful  influence  to  eftablifh  the 
mind  in  thofe  doftrines  which  are  really  doubt- 
ful, and  to  ftop  up  all  the  avenues  of  farther 
light.  This  will  bring  upon  the  foul  a  fort  of 
facred  av/e  and  dread  of  herefy,  with  a  concern  to 
maintain  v/hatever  opinion  we  have   efpoufed  as 

divine, 

♦  IniprQVfcJxient  cf  the  MinJ,  prj^e  aS;.-3cl  edit. 


iS         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

divine,  though  perhaps  it  hath  been  efpoufed 
without  any  jufl  evidence,  and  ought  to  be  re- 
nounced as  falfe  and  pernicious.  We  ought  to 
be  zealous  for  the  moil  important  points  of  our 
reHgion,  and  to  contend  earneftly  for  the  faith 
once  delivered  to  the  faints  ;  but  we  ought  not 
to  employ  this  facred  fervour  of  fpirit  in  the  fer- 
vice  of  any  article,  till  we  have  feen  it  made  out 
with  plain  and  ftrong  convidlion  to.be  a  necefla^ 
ryand  important  point  of  faith  or  practice.  Zeal 
muft  not  reign  over  the  powersof  our  underiliand- 
iiig,  but  obey  them.  Even  the  moft  fublime  and 
myfterious  dodrines  of  revelation  are  not  to  be 
believed  without  a  reafon  for  it  ;  nor  fliould  our 
pious  afFedtions  be  engaged  in  defence  of  them, 
till  we  have  convincing  proof  that  they  are  cer-^ 
tainly  revealed." 

The  man  who  w^as  capable  of  giving  fuch  ad- 
vice as  this,  for  the  inveiligatipn  of  truth,  muft 
himfelf  be  fuppofed  to  be  a  fmcere  lover  of  truth, 
and  a  diligent,  humble,  impartial  inquirer  after 
it.  It  is  well  known  that  his  condud:  agreed 
v/ith  the  advice  which  he  gave.  Few  men  have 
more  entirely  divefted  themfelves  of  the  prejudi- 
ces of  education,  or  have  difcovered  greater  im-» 
partiality  of  inquiring  and  opennefs  to  convidion, 
than  Dr.  Watts.  Though  not  hafty  in  giving 
up  his  early  opinions,  and  very  far  from  afFedling 
a  love  of  novelty  in  his  religious  fentiments,  it 
may  truly  be  faid  of  him,  tliat  he  fought  for  truth 
as  for  hidden  treafures.  Pie  was  willing  to  re^ 
ceive  light  from  every  quarter,  and  ready  to  em^ 
brace  whatever,  upon  free  inquiry,  appeared  to  be 
the  truth,  hov/ever  contrary  to  his  former  fenti- 
ments, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  29 

rtients,  or  to  the  prevailing  opinion  of  thofc  in  the 
higheft  reputation  for  the  foundnefs  of  their  faith, 
though  expofed  to  cenfure  from  bigots  of  all  par- 
ties, or  from  thofc  perfons  whom  he  moft  efteem^- 
ed,  and  whofe  good  opinion  he  was  moft  folici- 
tous  to  p  refer ve. 

Accordingly  it  is  well  known  that  he  did,  ia 
various  particulars,  differ  in  judgment  from  thof^ 
who  have  complimented  themfelves  with  the  ti- 
tle of  rationaL  He  thought  for  himfelf,  and 
called  no  man  mailer  upon  earth  :  And  he  fhared 
the  common  fate  of  thofe  who  do  fo,  by  incuf^ 
ring  the  cenfure  of  fome  of  the  different  parties 
who  would  have  gloried  to  have  had  him  of  their 
own.* 

In  his  laft  letter  to  Dr.  Colman,  dated  Februa- 
ry 1 1,  1747,  he  fays,  '^  I  am  glad  my  book  of 
Ufeful  Queflions  cam.e  fafe  to  your  hand.  I  think 
I  have  faid  every  thing  concerning  the  Son  of 
God,  w^hich  fcripture  fays  ;  but  I  could  not  go 
fo  far  as  to  fay  with  fome  of  our  orthodox  di- 
vines, that  the  Son  is  equal  with  the  Father  ; 
becaufe  our  Lord  himfelf  exprefsly  fays,  **  My 
Father  is  greater  than  I."  I  hope  there  is  no- 
thing contained  in  my  book  of  *•  The  Glory  of 
Chrift,"  which  I  nov/  fend  you  with  a  volume 
of  *'  Evangelical  Difcourfes,"  but  what  fcripture 
is  exprefs  in  determining,  that  Jefus  Chrift,  at 
leaft  his  human  foul,  is  the  firft  of  the  creation 
of  God. -f- 

On  receiving  this  letter  Dr.  Colman  obferved 
to  a  friend — **  My  dear  Watts  has  looked  lb  long 
at  the  fan  as  to  weaken  his  fight/'  In 

*  Palmer,  p.  40. 

t  Files  of  Kilton«l  Society, 


30  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watt^. 

In  the  abovementloned  book  of  "  Ufeful 
Queflions/'  he  fums  up  the  controverfy  refpeft-. 
ing  the  perfon  of  Chrift,  in  thefe  words,  which 
ought  to  be  confidered  as  expreffing  his  moft 
mature  judgment  on  the  fubjedt. 

"  It  is  evident  to  me,  that  the  holy  fcrlpture 
itfelf  lays  the  ftrefs  of  our  lalvation  on  a  belief 
that  Chrift  is  the  MelTiah,  the  appointed  all- 
fufEcient  Saviour  j  a  truft  in  the  proper  atone- 
ment and  facrifice  of  Chrift  for  the  forgivenefs  of 
fins  ;  a  dependence  on  his  grace  and  fpirit  for 
light  and  holinefs,  and  a  fubrniffion  to  his  gov- 
ernment, ?nuc.b  more  than  it  does  on  any  precife 
and  exadt  notion  or  hypothecs  concerning  his 
divine  and  human  nature,  even  though  the  union 
of  the  divine  and  human  nature  in  him  is,  in  my 
judgment,  necellary  to  render  his  falvation  com- 
plete."* 

Dr.  ¥/atts  was  a  firm  and  zealous  friend  to 
New  England,  and  kept  up  a  ccrrefpondence 
with  fome  of  our  principal  characters,  both  ia 
the  civil  and  clerical  lines.  Among  thefe  were 
Governors  Shute  and  Belcher,  Drs.  Ma- 
ther and  CoLMAN,  MelT.  Prince  and  Fox- 
croft,  Prefidents  WilliaiMs,  Clap,  and 
Edwards.  Almoft  every  gentleman  who  went 
from  this  country  to  England  was  fond  of  being 
recommended  and  introduced  to  him,  and  they 
always  met  with  a  welcome  and  cordial  recep- 
tion. He  frequently  folicited  benefactions,  and 
made  donations,  particularly  of  books,  to  the 
colleges  at  Cambridge  and  New-Haven,  and  to 
the  Indian  miffions   on  our  eaftern  and  weftern 

borders  e 

•  4-10  edit,  ofhisworks;  vcl,  vi,  p.  718, 


Memoirs  or  Dr.  Watts.         31 

borders.  His  memory  has  always  been  deferv- 
edly  famous  and  refpedted  here.  His  pialms  and 
hymns,  his  divine  fongs  and  catcchifms  are  high- 
ly in  vogue,  and  have  perhaps  been  more  condu- 
cive to  aflift  the  devotion  of  chriftians,  and  the 
inftrudion  of  children,  than  any  other  writings,- 
except  the  fcriptures. 

His  imitation  of  the  pfahns  of  David  in  the 
language  of  the  New  Teflament,  is  generally  al- 
lov/ed  to  be  his  capital  produdion  in  poetry, 
though  it  is  not  particularly  noticed  by  Johnfon, 
who  has  criticifed  his  poems  in  general.  Thofe 
congregations  who  ufe  it,  have  advantages  for 
evangelical  devotion  iliperior  to  thofe  who  adhere 
to  the  other  verfions.  Its  local  imperfedlions 
have  been  remedied,  and  its  deficiences  fuppiied, 
in  an  American  edition  publifhed  by  Mr.  Bar- 
low, which  is  now  coming  into  general  ufe. 

Betides  the  pfalms.  Dr.  Watts  compofed  three 
books  of  hymns  and  fpiritnal  fongs,  which  con- 
tain many  fpecimens  of  fublime  and  devotional 
poetry,  calculated  for  the  edification  of  chriftian 
focieties,  and  recommended  by  the  plainnefs  of 
the  compofition  and  the  fmoothnefs  of  the  verfe. 
If  in  fome  infcances  they  may  be  thought  lefs 
judicious  than  the  plalm.s,  it  ought  to  be  conli* 
dcred  that  moll:  of  them  were  written  when  the 
author  was  very  young,  and  feme  when  he  was 
but  a  fchool  boy.  It  is  much  to  be  wifhed  that 
in  his  mature  age  he  had  corrected  what  was  ju- 
venile, and  what  he  freely  acknowledged  to  be 
faulty  in  fome  of  thefe  early  compofures.  The 
late  Mr.  Henry  Grove  remarked  to  the  Doc- 
tor,  that  feveral  of  his   hymns  laid  the  ftrefs  of 

our 


32  Memoirs  OF  Dr.  Watts. 

our  redemption  on  the  compaffion  of  Chrift,  ra- 
ther than  on  the  love  of  God,*  and  exprcffed 
his  wifli  that  he  would  alter  them.  The  Dodtor 
anfwered  that  he  fliould  be  glad  to  do  it,  but  it 
was  out  of  his  power,  for  he  had  parted  with  the 
copy,  and  the  bookfeller  would  not  fuffer  any 
fuch  alteration. 

It  is  remarkable  that  fo  low  was  the  author's 
cxpediation  with  regard  to  the  fuccefs  ot  this 
work,  that,  it  is  faid,  he  received  no  more  than 
ten  pounds  fterling  for  the  copy.-f' 

It  may  not  be  improper  in  this  place  to  take 
notice  of  what  has  been  publifbed  to  the  world 
by  Mr.  Benjamin  Williams  in  the  preface 
to  his  colledion  ofpfalms.  He  reprefents  Dr. 
Watts  as  *^  a  perlon  of  the  mofl  exempla  y  meek- 
iiefs  and  humility,  perfc'flly  good  natured,  and  of 
fuch  unconfined  charity,  that  lie  wifhed  to  avoid 
every  word  and  fyilable  which  was  likely  to  give 
the  fmalleft  oiFence  to  ferious  chriftians  of  any 
denomination  ;  and  when  he  found  in  the  latter 
part  of  his  life,  that  he  had  not  been  fo  fuccefs- 
ful  in  this  refpcdas  he  had  aimed  to  be,  he  v^^ifh- 
ed  for  nothing  more  ardently  than  fufficient 
health  and  time  to  revife  both  his  pfalms  and 
hymns,  in  order  to  render  them  wholly  unexcep- 
tionable to  every  chriftian  profefTor. 

'*  This  account,  Mr,  Williams  obferves,  was 
received  from  Dr.  Watts  himfelf  a  few  years  be- 
fore his  death,  by  Dr.  Amory,  and  by  him  giv- 
en to  one  of  his  pupils,  who  communicated  it  to 

the 


*  This  remark  may  be  particularly  applied  to  ihc  36tb,  371b,  ani5 
108th  hymns  in  thefecond  book. 

t  Palmer,  p.  aS, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  ^k 

die  editor.  The  editor  alfo  fays  he  had  good 
reafon  to  add  that  *'  the  revifal  fo  fervently 
vvilhed  for,  was  undertaken  and  finifhed,  and 
would  moft  certainly  have  been  publiilied,  had 
not  the  author's  death  unhappily  prevented."* 

On  this  Mr.  Palmer  remarks  thus  :  ''  With- 
out impeaching  this  writer's  veracity,  the  evi- 
xicnce  of  the  fadt  is  by  no  means  fatisfadtory. 
What  became  of  the  copy  thus  corredled  ?  Mr, 
Parker,  the  Doctor's  amanuenfis,  knows  of 
no  fuch  thing,  and  never  heard  of  the  author's 
having  fuch  a  defign,  which  appears  indeed  high- 
ly improbable.  A  man  of  Dr.  Watts's  know- 
ledge of  the  w^orld  could  hardly  exped:  that  he 
fhould  be  able  to  make  every  thing  in  thefe  compo- 
fures  univerfally  unexceptionable,  as  the  altera- 
tions which  w^ould  have  gratified  one  party, 
would  equally  have  offended  another. -j^ 

As  the  Lives  of  Dr.  Watts  and  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge are  united  in  this  publication,  it  may 
not  be  improper  to  take  notice  of  the  beginning 
and  progrefs  of  their  connexion  with  each  other. 
Doddridge  v/as  about  twenty-eight  years  young- 
er than  Watts,  and  had  no  acquaintance  w^ith 
him  till  it  was  introduced  In  the  following  manner. 
Doddridge  being  a  hopeful  and  rifmg  young  min- 
ifter  among  the  difTenters,  was  requefted  by  a  Mr. 
Ben  YON,  of  Shrewfbury,  to  WTite  his  thoughts  on 
the  bed  method  of  condu6ting  the  preparatory  ftu^ 
dies  ofyounggentlem.en  intended  for  the  miniftry^ 
When  he  had  juft  finiflied  the  w^ork,  his  friend 
died,  and  the  treatife  remained  ia  his  own  hands. 
C  Mr. 

•  Monthly  Review,  17S3.  p,  170. 


14  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watt^. 

Mr.  Saunders,  of  Kettering,  happening  to  le^ 
it  in  his  ftudy,  borrowed  it  and  fliewed  it  to  Dr« 
Watts.     He   was   much  pleafed  with  the  plan, 
and  having   made    fome  remarks  upon  it,   com-^ 
municatcd  it  to  feveral  of  his  friends.     They  all 
joined  with  him  in  folicitii^g  Doddridge  to  carry 
it  into    execution.     This   was  the  beginning  of 
that  famous  academy  in  w^hich  Doddridge  flionc 
with  the  high-eft  litftre  as  a  tutor,  and  alfo  of  an 
intimate  friendlhip  between  him  and  Dr.  Watts. 
It  had  been  for  many  years  one  of  Dr.  Watts 's 
earn  eft  defires  to  compofe  a  treatrfe  of  practical 
and  experimental  divinity  ;    but  his  growing  in- 
firmities prevented  his  executing  it.     He  there- 
fore ftrongly  recommended   the  matter  to  Dod- 
dridge as  the  iittef!  perfon  in  his  acquaintance  to 
perform  it    in  the  moft  acceptable  manner.     It 
was   with   much   reludance  that  he  undertook 
fuch  a  work  amonf^  his  other  ccnftant  and  weidi- 
ty    concerns.     But  Dr.    \¥atts's    heart  w^as  fa 
much    fet  on  the  dclign,   and   he  urged  it  with 
fuch  preflini^  imoortunity,  that  Doddridge  could 
not  deny  his  requeft,   after  having  been  honored 
with  his  friendlhip  for  fo  many  years,   and  re- 
ceiving!: m^uch  encourapement  and  affiftance  from 
him,  in  feveral  of  his    undertakin^gs.     Wnen  it 
w\is  finiihed,  Dr.  Watts  revifed  as  m.uch  of  it  as 
his   health    would  permit,   and  it  was  firft  pub- 
liflied  in  1745,  unter  the  title  of  '^  The  Rife  and 
Progrcfs   of  Religion  in  the  Soul,"  with  a  dedi- 
cation to  Dv.  V/atts.* 

The  opinion  which  Dr.  V/atts  had  of  Dod- 
dridge appears   from  the  following  letter  v/hich 

he, 

*  Oftcr/e  I-ifc  of  DQdd:;('^ej  clrp.  iit-  nnd  vtt-. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  35 

lie  wrote  to  Mr,  Longueville,    minliler  of  the 

En^lifh  church  at  Amfterdam. 
<— > 

*•  It  is  a  very  agreeable  employment  to  which 
you  call  me,  and  a  very  fenfible  honor  you  put 
upon  me  when  you  deiire  me  to  give  you  my 
fentiments  of  that  reverend  and  learned  writer 
Dr.  Doddridge,  to  be  prefixed  to  a  tranilation  of 
any  of  his  works  into  the  Dutch  tongue.  I  have 
well  known  him  many  years,  and  have  enjoyed 
a  conflant  intimacy  and  friendihip  with  him  ever 
fince  the  providence  of  God  called  him  to  be  a 
profeffor  of  hitman  fciences*  and  a  teacher  of  fa- 
cred  theology  to  young  men  among  us  who  are 
trained  up  for  the  miniftry  of  the  gofpel.  I  have 
ho  need  to  give  you  a  large  account  of  his  know- 
ledge in  the  fciences,  in  which  I  confefs  him  to 
be  greatly  my  fuperior  ;  and  as  to  the  dodtrines 
of  divinity  and  the  gofpel  of  Chrift,  I  know  not 
any  man  of  greater  fKili  than  himfelf,  and  hardly 
fufficient  to  be  his  fecond.  As  he  hath  a  moil: 
exa(fl  acquaintance  with  the  things  of  God  and 
our  holy  religion,  io  far  as  we  are  let  into  them 
by  the  light  of  nature  and  the  revelations  of 
fcriptures,  fo  he  hath  a  moft  happy  manner  of 
teaching  thofe  who  are  younger.  He  hath  a 
moft  fkilful  and  ccadefcending  v/ay  of  inftruc- 
tion,  nor  is  there  any  perfon  of  my  acquaintance 
Avith  whom  I  am  more  entirely  agreed  in  all  the 
fentiments  of  the  dodrine  of  Chrift.  He  is  a 
moft  hearty  believer  of  the  great  articles  and  im- 
portant principles  of  the  reformed  church  j  a 
moft  aiFedionate  preacher,  and  pathetic  v/riter  on 
the  pradtical  parts  of  religion ;  and,  in  one  wordy 
fince  I  am  now  advanced  in  age  beyond  my  fe- 
C  ^  ^  veatietb 


i 


.36  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts> 

ventleth  year  (1745)  if  there  were  any  man  to 
whom  Providence  would  fuffer  me  to  commit  a 
fccond  part  of  my  life  and  ufefulnefs  in  the  church 
of  Chrift,  Dr.  Doddridge  fliould  be  the  man. 
If  you  have  read  that  excellent  performance  of 
his,  intitled,  ''  Ihe  Rife  and  Frogrefs,'"  &:c.  you 
v/ill  be  of  my  mind.  His  dedication  of  it  to 
me  is  the  only  thing  in  the  book  I  could  hardly 
permit  myfelf  to  approve.  Eefides  all  this,  he 
poffeffeth  a  fpirit  of  fo  much  charity,  love,  and 
goodnefs  toward  his  fellow  chriftians,  who  may 
fall  into  fome  leiTer  differences  of  opinion,  as  be- 
cometh  a  follov/er  of  the  bleffed  Jefus,  his  maf- 
ter  and  mine.  In  the  pradical  part  of  his  la- 
bors and  miniflry,  he  hath  fufficiently  fliewn 
himfelf  moil  happily  furnifhed  with  all  proper 
gifts  and  talents,  to  lead  perfons  of  all  ranks 
and  ages  to  ferious  piety  and  ftrid;  religion.  I 
efteem  it  a  confiderable  honor  which  the  provi- 
dence of  God  hath  done,  when  it  makes  ufe  of 
me  as  an  inftrument  in  his  hands,  to  promote 
the  ufefulnefs  of  this  great  man  in  any  part  of  the 
world  ;  and  it  is  my  hearty  prayer,  that  our  Lord 
Jefus  Chrift  may  blefs  all  his  labors  with  moft 
gloi-ious  fuccefs." 

So  high  an  efteem  had  he  of  this  valuable 
friend,  that  by  his  laft  will  he  left  the  care  of 
his  manufcripts,  and  of  republifliing  his  printed 
works,  to  him,  in  conjundlion  with  Dr.  David 
Jennings.  Doddridge  died  in  1752,  and  the 
complete  edition  of  Watts's  works  in  fix  quar- 
to volumes,  came  out  in  1753.  Many  of  his 
works  have  fince  been  reprinted  feparately,  and 
it  is  probable  that  future  editions  of  them  will 
be  called  for  by  the  pious  and  learned  of  fuc- 
ceedin  gages.  FIRST 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  37 


FIRST    APPENDIX, 

No,  L 

fbe  Jacred  Concert  cf  Fraife. 

I. 

COME,  pretty  birds,  fiy  to  this  verdant  fliade, 
Here  let  our  difierent  notes  in  praife  confpire  : 
*i  was  the  fame  hand  your  painted  pjnions  fpread. 
That  form'd  my  noble  powers    to  raife  his  honours 

[higher:. 
IL 

Fair  fongflers,  come  i  beneath  the  facred  grove 
We'll  ^n  and  teach  the  woods  our  Maker's  name  % 
Men  have  forgot  his  works,  his  power,  his  love, 
Forgot  the  mighty  arm  that  rear'd   their  wondrous 

[frame. 
III. 

I  fearch  the  crowded  court,  the  bufy  ?iv^ny 
Run  through  the  villages,   trace  every  road  : 
In  vaui  I  fearch  ;  for  every  heart  I  meet 
Is  laden  with  the  world,  and  empty  of  its  God. 

IV. 

How  ill  all  I  bear  with  men  to  fpend  my  days  ? 
Dear  feathered  innocents,  you  pleafe  me  bell  : 
My  God  has  fram'd  your  voices  for  his  praife, 
His  highdefigns  are  anfwer'd  by  your  tuntful  breafi: 
C  3  Sweet 


I 


38  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

V. 

Sweet  warblers,  come,  wake  all  yeiir  cheerful  tongue5| 
We  join  with  angels  and  their  heavenly  choirs  j 
Our  humble  airs  may  imitate  their  fongs, 
Tho*  bolder  are  their  notes,  and  purer  are  their  fires^ 

VI. 

Had  I  ten  thoufand  hearts,  my  God,  my  love^ 
Had  1  ten  thoufand  voices  all  are  thine  : 
Where  love  enflames  the  foul,  the  lips  muil  move. 
Nor  llialhhe  fong  be  mortal  v/here  the  theme's  divine, 

No.  II. 
Jn  Hymn  to  Christ  Jesus,    the  Eternal  Lifi^ 


WHERE  fhall  the  tribes  o{  Adam  find 
The  fovereign  good  to  fill  the  mind  ? 
Yc  fona  of  moral  wifdom,  Ihow, 
The  fpring  whence  living  waters  flow. 

II. 

Say,  will  the  Stoick'h  flinty  heart 
Melt,  and  this  cordial  juice  impart  ? 
Could  Plato  find  thefe  blifsful dreams, 
Amongft  his  raptures  and  his  dreams  ? 

III. 

In  vain  I  aflc  ;  for  nature's  power 

Extends  but  to  this  mortal  hour  : 

'Twas  but  a  poor  relief  ihe  gave 

Againil  the  terrors  of  the  grave.  Jesu^ 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts,         39 
IV, 

Jesus,  our  kinfman,  and  our  God, 
Array 'd  in  majefly  and  blood. 
Thou  art  our  life  ;  our  fouls  in  thcc 
PoiTefs  a  full  felicirv. 


All  our  immortal  hopes  are  laid 
In  Thee,  our  furety,  and  our  head  ; 
Thy  crofs,  thy  cradle,  and  thy  throne^ 
Are  big  with  glories  yet  unknown-, 

VI. 

Let  Atheifxs  fcolF,  and  Jevjs  blafpherae 
Th'  eternal  life,  and  Jesus'  name  \ 
A  word  of  his  almighty  breath 
Pooms  the  rebellious  world  to  death, 

VIL 

But  let  my  foul  for  ever  lie 
Beneath  the  blelTings  of  thine  eye  \ 
*Tis  heaven  on  earth,  'tis  heaven  above^ 
To  fee  thy  face,  to  tafle  thy  love. 

No.  III. 

On  the  Sight  of  ^.een  Mary,  /;;  the  Tear  1694, 

ISAVv"  th'  iiluflrious  form,  I  faw 
Beauty  that  gave  the  nations  law  : 
Her  eyes,  like  mercy  "on  a  throne^ 
la  condefcending  grandeur  fnone. 

C  4  That 


40  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.. 

IL 

That  blooming  face  !  how  lovely  fair 
Hath  nature  mix'd  her  wonders  there  ! 
The  rofy  morn  fuch  luflire  fliows 
Glancing  along  the  Scythian  fnows. 

III. 

Her  (hape,  her  motion,  and  her  mein, 
AH  heavenly  ;  fuch  ai^e  angels  feen. 
When  the  bright  vifion  grows  intenfe^ 
And  fancy  aids  our  feebler  fenfe. 

IV. 

parth's  proudeft  idols  dare  not  vie 

With  fuch  fuperior  majefty  : 

A  kindling  vapour  might  as  foon 

Rife  fron>  the  bogs,  and  mate  the  moon. 

V. 

I'll  call  no  Raphael  from  his  reft  ; 
Such  charms  can  never  be  exprefs'd  : 
Pencil  and  paint  were  never  made 
To  draw  pure  light  without  a  fhade. 

VI. 

Britain  beholds  her  queen  with  pride. 
And  mighty  William  at  her  fide 
Gracing  the  throne;  while  at  their  feet 
With  4iumble  joy  three  nations  nieet. 

VIK 

Secure  of  empire,  fhe  might  lay 
Her  crown,  her  robes,  and  ftate  away, 
And  'midft  ten  thoufand  nymphs  be  feen  i 
Her  beauty  would  proclaim  the  queen. 

Epanorthosis, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  41 

Epanorthosis. 

VIII. 

Her  guardian  angel  heard  my  fong. 
Fond  man  (he  cry'd)  forbear  to  wrong 
My  lovely  charge.     So  vulgar  eves 
Gaze  at  the  ftars^  and  praife  che  Ikies. 

IX. 

Rudely  they  praife,  v/ho  dwell  below. 
And  heaven's  true  glories  never  know, 
Where  (tars  and  planets  are  no  more 
Than  pebbles  fcatier'd  on  the  floor, 

X. 

So,  where  celeflial  virtues  joined 

Form  an  incomparable  mind. 

Crowns,  fcepters,  beauties,  charms  and  aire. 

Stand  but  as  Ihining  fervants  there. 

No.  IV. 

Ode  fo  Lady  Sunderland. 

I. 

FAIR  nymph,  afcend  to  beauty's  throne. 
And  rule  that  radiant  world  alone  : 
Let  fav'rites  take  thy  lower  fphere,* 
Not  monarchs  are  thy  rivals  here. 

II. 


The  court  cf  beauty,  built  fublime. 
Defies  all  pov/er  but  heaven  and  time  : 

^  Alluding  to  h=r  rera^va!  from  the  conn  of  Qi^een  Anne* 


En 


vv, 


42  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts^ 

Envy,  that  clouds  the  heroes  fky. 
Aims  but  in  vain  her  flight  [o  high, 

III. 

Not  Blenheim's  field,  nor  Ifter*s  floods. 

Nor  liandaids  dy'd  in  gallic  blood. 

Torn  fronn  the  foe,  add  nobler  grace 

To  Churchill's  houfe  than  Spencer's  f*icr^ 

IV. 

The  warlike  thunder  of  his  arms 
Is  lefs  commanding  than  her  charms  : 
His  lightnings  ftrike  with  lefs  furprife 
Than  fudden  glances  from  her  eyes. 

His  captives  feel  their  limbs  confin'd 
In  iron — Ch^  enflaves  the  mind  : 
We  follow  with  a  pleafing  pain, 
And  blefs  the  conqueror  and  the  chain^ 

VI. 

The  mufe  that  dares  in  numbers  do 
What  paint  and  pencil  never  knew. 
Faints  at  her  prefence  in  defpair. 
And  owns  th'  inimitable  fair. 

On  the  fight  of  this  ode  the  following  lines  were  written 
hfOr.  S\y AGiL,fucceJfor  to  Dr,  Watts. 

While  numerous  bards  have  founded  Spencer's  name. 
And  made  her  beauties  heirs  to  lading  fame. 
Her  mem'ry  flill  to  their  united  lays 
Stands  lefs  indebted,  than  to  Vv'atts's  praife. 
What  wond'rous  charms  muil  to  that  fair  be  given 
Who  mov'd  a  mind  that  dwelt  ^o  near  to  heaven  ! 
— ^^«©<— .  No.  V. 


Memdiks  of  Dr.  Watts,         ^j 

Na.  V. 
Sickness    and  E.ecovery. 

IT  was  the  cuftom  of  David,  as  appears  by 
feveral  of  his  pfalms,  and  it  was  the  prac- 
tice of  Hczekiah  and  Jonah,  kings  and  prophets, 
to  rehearfe  the  agonies  of  their  diftrefs,  when 
they  offered  to  heaven  their  fongs  of  deHverance. 
They  recoiledled  their  hours  and  days  of  bitter- 
nefs,  and  the  workings  of  their  foul  amidil  their 
Iharp  and  grievous  forrows,  to  make  the  remem- 
brance of  their  falvation  the  fweeter,  and  fo  kin- 
dle the  zeal  of  their  gratitude  to  a  higher  fiame. 
Is  it  a  matter  of  bhme  to  imitate  fuch  exam^ 
pies  ?  Doth  not  the  reafon  hold  good  in  oijr  age, 
and  to  all  generations  ?  Why  fhould  a  Chrifcian 
be  any  more  afraid  to  tell  the  world  of  his  af- 
fiidions  or  diftreffes  than  a  JeijD  ?  Or  why  Inould 
he  be  afhamed  to  let  them  know,  that  amidfl 
thofe  finkings  of  life  and  nature,  Chriftianity  and 
the  Gcfpel  were  his  fapport  ?  Amidft  ail  the  vi- 
olence of  m*y  diftemper,  and  the  tirefome  m.onths 
of  it,  I  thank  God  I  never  loft  fight  of  reafoa 
or  religion,"  though  fometimes  I  had  much  ado 
to  preferve  the  machine  of  animal  nature  in  fuch 
order  as  regularly  to  exercife  either  the  man  or 
the  chriftian,  efpecially  when  I  fhut  my  eyes  to 
feek  fleep  and  repofe,  and  had  not  their  aid  to 
fence  again  ft  the  diforderly  ferments  of  natural 
fpirits.  But  thefe  conflids  are  defcrlbed  in  the 
following  lines.  BlefTed  be  God  for  preferving 
and  healing  mercy  ! 

THOUGHTS 


44  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts/ 

THOUGHTS  a?2d  MEDITATIONS 

in  a  long  Sickness,   1712  and  1713. 

Tihe  hurry  of  the  fpirits,    in  a  fever  and  n^rvous^ 
dlforders. 

MY  frame  of  nature  is  a  ruftlcd  fc*a, 
And  my  difeafe  the  temped.     Nature  feels 
A  (trange  commotion  to  her  inmofi;  centre  ; 
The  throne  of  reafon  fliakes.    ''  Beftllly  my  thoughts %^ 
*^  Peace  and  heJlilW     \n  vain  my  reafon  gives 
The  -peaceful  word,  my  fpirit  drives  in  vain 
To  calm  the  tumult  and  command  my  thoughts. 
This  flefh,  this  circling  blood,  thefe  brutal  Powers 
Made  to  obey,  turn  rebels  to  the  mind, 
Nor  hear  its  laws.     The  engine  rules  the  r/ian. 
Unhappy  change  I    when  nature's  meaner  fprings, 
Fir'd  to  impetuous  ferments,  break  all  order  i 
When  little  relUefs  atoms  rife  and  reign 
Tyrants  in  fovereign  uproar,  and  impofe 
Ideas  on  the  m/ind  ;  confusM  ideas 
Of  non-exiftents  and  impoQibles, 
Who  can  defcribethem  t"  Fragments  of  old  dreams^ 
Borrowed  from  midnight,  torn  from  -fairy  fields 
And  fairy  flcies,  and  regions  of  the  dead. 
Abrupt,  ill-forted.     O    'tis  all  confufion  ! 
If  I  but  clofe  my  eyes,  ftrange  images 
In  thoufand  forms  and  thoufands  colours  rife, 
Stars,  rainbows,   moons,   green  dragons,    bears,  and 
An  endlefs  medley  rufh  upon  the  ftage,  [ghoftsj. 

And  dance  and  riot  wild  in  reafon's  court 
Above  control.     Tm  in  a  raging  dorm, 
Where  feas  and  flcies  are  blended,  while  my  foul 
Like  fome  light  worthlefs  chip  of  floating  cork 
Is  tod  from  wave  to  wave  :  Now  overvvhehn'd 
With  breaking  floods,  I  drown,  and  feem  to  lofe 
All  being  :  Now  high-mounted  on  the  rjdge 


Memoes  of  Dr.  Watts.         45* 

Of  a  tall  foaming  furge,  I'm  all  at  once 
Caught  up  into  the  ftornn,  and  ride  the  wind. 
The  whiftling  wind  ;  unmanageable  deed. 
And  feeble  rider !  hurried  many  a  league 
Over  the  rifing  hills  of  roaring  brine, 
l\hro'  airy  wilds  unknown,  with  dreadful  fpeed 
And  infinite  furprife  j  till  feme  few  minutes 
Have  fpent  the  blaft,  and  then  perhaps  I  drop 
Near  to  the  peaceful  coafl;  fome  friendly  billow 
Lodges  me  on  the  beach,  and  I  find  reft : 
Shore  reft  I  find  ;  for  the  next  rolling  wave 
Snatches  me  back  again  ;  then  ebbing  far 
Sets  me  a  drift,  and  I  am  borne  oft  to  fea, 
Helplefs,  amidft  the  blufter  of  the  winds. 
Beyond  the  ken  of  (bore. 

Ah,  when  will  thefe  tumultuous  fcenes  be  gone  i 
^Vhen  fhall  this  weary  fpirit,  toft  with  tempefts, 
Harrafs'd  and  broken,  reach  the  pert  ot  reft. 
And  hold  it  firm  ?    When  fhall  this  wayward  fiefh 
Wirh  ail  th'  irregular  fprin:s  of  vital  movement 
Ungovernable,  return  to  facred  order, 
And  pay  their  duties  to  the  ruling  mind  ? 

Peacs  of  Conscience  and  Prayer  for  Health. 

YET,  gracious  God,  amidft  thefe  ftorms  of  nature, 
Thine  eyes  behold  a  fweer  and  facred  calm 
Reign  thro'  the  realms  of  confcience  :   all  within 
Lies  peaceful,  aH  compos'd.     'Tis  wondrous  grace 
Keeps  off  thy  terrors  from  this  humble  bofom, 
Tho'  ftain'd  with  fms  and  follies,  yet  ferene 
In  penitential  peace  and  cheerful  hope, 
Sprinkled  and  guarded  with  atoning  blood. 
Thy  vital  fmiles  amidft  this  defolation 
Like  heavenly  fun-beams  hid  behind  the  cloudi;, 
Break  out  in  happy  moments,  with  bright  radiance 
Cleavins;  the^loom;  the  fair  celeftial  light 

Softens 


46         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watt^^ 

Sofrens  and  gilds  the  horrors  of  the  (lorm. 
And  richeft  cordials  to  the  heart  conveys. 

O  glorious  folace  of  immeiife  diflrefs, 
Aconfcience  and  a  God  !  a  friend  at  home. 
And  better  friend  on  high  !   This  is  my  rock 
Of  firm  fupport,  my  rtiield  of  fure  defence 
Againfl:  infernal  arrows.     Rife,  my  foul, 
Put  on  thy  courage  :  Here's  the  living  fpring 
Of  joys  divinely  fweet  and  ever  nev/, 
A  peaceful  confciencey  and  ajmiling  heaven. 

My  God,  permit  a  creeping  worm  to  ^^y^ 
^hy  [pint  knows  I  love  thee.     Worth iefs  wreech. 
To  dare  to  love  a  God  !    But  grace  requires. 
And  grace  accepts.     Thou  feefb  my  labouring  foul  i 
"Weak  as  my  zeal  is,  yet  my  zeal  is  true  ; 
It  bears  the  trying  furnace.     Love  divine 
Conftrains  me  ;  I  am  thine.     Incarnate  love 
Has  feiz'd  and  holds  me  in  almighty  arms  : 
Here's  my  falvation,  my  eternal  hope, 
Amidft  the  wreck  of  worlds  and  dying  nature- 
/  am  the  Lord^s,  and  he  for  ever  mine, 

O  thou  all-powerful  word,  at  whofe  firfv  call 
Nature  arofe  j  this  earth,  thefe  fhining  heavens, 
Thefe  (lars  in  all  their  ranks  came  forth,  and  faidj 
We  are  thy  Jervants  :  Didfi  thou  not  create. 
My  frame,  my  breath,  my  being,  and  beftow 
A  mind  immortal  on  thy  feeble  creature 
Who  faints  before  thy  face  ?  Did  not  thy  pity 
Drefs  thee  in  flefh  to  die,  that  I  might  live. 
And  with  thy  blood  redeemi  this  captive  foul 
From  guilt  and  death  ?  O  thrice  adored  name, 
My  kino:,  my  faviour,  my  Emanuel,  fay. 
Have  not  thy  eye-lids  mark'd  my  painful  toil. 
The  wild  confufions  of  my  fhattcr'd  powers, 
A-nd  broken  fiuttering  thoughts  ?  Haft  thou  nor  feen- 

Each 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Watts,  i^ 

£ach  redlefs  atom  that  with  vexing  influence 
Works  thro'  the  mafs  of  man  ?  Each  noxious  juice^ 
Each  ferment  that  infccls  the  vital  humours, 
Thar  heaves  the  veins  with  huge  difquietude 
And  fpreads  the  tumult  wide  ?  Do  they  not  lie 
Beneath  thy  view,  and  all  within  thy  reach  ? 
Yes,  ail  at  thy  command,  and  mufl:  obey 
Thy  fovereign  touch  :  Thy  touch  is  health  and  lifca 
And  harmony  to  nature's  jarring  firings. 

When  (liall  my  midnight  fighs  and  m.orning  eroans 
Rife  thro'  the  heights  of  heaven,   and  reach  thy  car 
Propitious  ?    See,  my  fpirit's  feeble  powers 
Exhal'd  and  breathing  upv/ard  to  thy  throne, 
I^ike  early  incenfe  climbing  through  the  i]<:y 
From  the  warm  altar.     When  Ihall  grace  and  peace 
Defcend  v,'ith  bleffings,  like  an  evening  fhovver 
On  the  parch*d  defarr,  and  renew  my  bloom  ? 
Or  m.ufl  thy  creature  breathe  his  foul  away 
In   fruitlefs  groans,   and   die   ? 
Come,  bled  Phyfician,  comie  attend  the  moan 
0[  a  poor  fuflFering  VvTCtch,  a  plaintive  worm, 
Crufh'd  in  the  dud  and  helplefs.     O  defcend. 
Array 'd  in  power  and  love,  and  bid  me  rife, 
Jncarnare  goodnefs,  fend  thy  influence  down 
To  thefe  low  regions  of  mortality 
Where  thou  had  dv.'elt,  and  clad  in  flcflily  weeds 
Eearnt  fympathetic  forrows  \   fend  and  heal 
My  long  and  forediftrefs.     Ten  thoufand  praifes 
Attend  Thee  :  Davids  harp  is  ready  drnng 
For  the  Me[Jiah\^  name  :  A  winged  flight 
Offongs  harmonious,  and  new  honours  v/ait 
The  deps  of  moving  mercy. 

Encouragd 

*  At  this  time  my  Imitation  c^i  David's  pfalms  in  cbriftisn  lariguig;^ 
vvas  not  half  done  :  As  faft  as  1  recovered  ftrsngih  y-fter  this  Jong  iJJ- 
liefs,.!  :  pplieU  rn}  Icli"  by  degress  to  foulh  it. 


^8  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts; 

Encouraged  to  hope  for  Health  in  May. 
December  1712. 

CONFIN'D  to  fit  in  filence,  here  I  vvaile 
The  golden  hours  of  youth.     If  once  I  ftir. 
And  reach  at  a6live  life,  what  fudden  tremors 
Shake  my  whole  frame,  and  all  the  poor  machine 
l_.ies  fluttering  !  Whatftrange  wild  convulfive  force 
Overpowers  at  once  the  members  and  the  will  ! 
Here  am  I  bound  in  chains,  a  ufclefs  load 
Of  breathing  clay,  a  burden  to  the  feat 
That  bears  thefe  limbs,   a  borderer  on  the  grave. 
Poor  (late  of  worihlefs  being  !  While  the  lamp 
Of  glimmering  life  burns  languifhing  and  dim> 
The  fiamejufl:  hovering  o'er  the  dying  fnuff 
"With  doubtful  alternations,  half  disjoined. 
And  ready  to  expire  with  every  bla(t. 

Yet  m.y  fond  friends  would  fpeak  a  word  of  hope* 
Love  would  forbid  defpair  :   "  Look  our,  they  cry 
*'  Beyond  thefe  gioomiing  damps,  while  winter  hangs 
*^  Heavy  en  nature^,  and  congeals  her  powers  : 
*'  Look  cheerful  forward  to  the  vital  influence 
"  Of  the  returning  fpringj"  1  rouze  my  thoughts 
At  friendfhip's  facred  voice,  I  fend  my  foul 
To  diftant  expedlation,  and  fupporc 
The  painful  interval  with  poor  amufements. 

My  watch,  the  folitary  kind  companion 
Of  my  imprifonmenr,  my  faithful  watch 
Hangs  by  3  and  with  a  fliort  repeated  found 
Beats  like  the  pulfe  of  time,  and  numbers  off 
My  woes,  a  long  fuccefiion  ;  while  the  finger 
Slow-moving,  points  out  the  flow-moving  minutes  ; 
The  Qower  hand,  the  hours.     O  thou  dear  engine. 
Thou  little  brafs  accomptant  of  my  life. 
Would  but  the  mighty  wheels  of  heaven  and  nature 

Once 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  V/atts;  49 

Once  iinitate  thy  movements,  how  my  hand 
Should  drive  thy  dented  pinions  round  their  centres 
With  more  than  ten-fold  flight,   and  whirl  away 
Thele  clouded  wintry  luns,  thefe  tedious  moons, 
Thefe  midnights  ;  every  ftar  Ihouid  jpeed  its  race^ 
And  the  flow  Bears  precipitate  their  way 
Around  the  frozen  pole  :   Then  promib'd  health 
That  rides  witn  rofy  cheek  and  blooming  grace 
On  a  May  fun- beam  fhould  attend  me  here 
Before  to-morrow  fhedb  i:s  evening  dew. 

Ah  foolifh  ravines  of  a  fruitlefs  wiih 
And  fpirictoo  impatient  1   Know'fl:  thou  not. 
My  foul,  the  power  that  made  thee  ?  He  alone 
Who  form'd  the  fpheres,  rolls  them  in  dcftin'd  rounda 
Unchangeable.     Adore,  and  trult,  and  fear  Him  : 
He  is  th^  Lord  of  life^     Addrefs  his  throne, 
And  wait  before  his  foot,  with  awful  hope 
Submiffive  3  at  his  touch  diftemper  flies  : 
His  eyelids  lend  beams  of  immortal  youth 
Thro'  heaven*s  bright  regions.   His  all-powerful  word 
Can  create  health,  and  bid  the  blefTing  come 
A^mdd  the  wintry  froil:,  when  nature  feems 
Congeard  in  death  -,  or  with  a  fovereign  frown 
(Tho*  nature  blooms  all  round)  he  can  forbid 
The  blefllng  in  the  fpring,  and  chain  thee  down 
To  pains,  and  maladies,  and  grievous  bondage 
Thro'  all  the  circling  fcafons. 

The  "Ji' gar  if  cms  IFeeks  of  Sickness, 
1712,  or   1713. 

THUS  pafs  my  days  away.     The  cheerful  fuh 
Rolls  round  and  gilds  the  world  with  lightfomr 
AlaSj  in  vain  to  me  ;  cut  off  alike  [beams^ 

From  the  blefs'd  labours,  and  the  joys  of  life  3 
While  my  fad  minutes  in  their  tirefome  train 
Serve  but  to  number  out  mv  heavy  forrowi;. 

D       '  By 


|6  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts* 

By  night  I  count  the  clock  ;    perhaps  eleven. 
Or  twelve,  or  one  ;  then  with  a  wilhful  figh 
Call  on  the  lingering  hours,  come  two,  come  five : 
JVhen  will  the  day-light  come  ?  Make  halte,  ye  mornings. 
Ye  evening  fhadows  halle  ;  vv'ear  out  thefe  days, 
Thefe  tedious  rounds  of  ficknefs,  and  conclude 

The  v/eary  v^'eek  for  ever 

Then  the  fvveet  day  of  iacred  reft  returns, 

Sweet  day  of  reft*,  devote  to  God  and  heaven. 

And  heavenly  bulincfs,  purpofes  divine, 

Angelic  work  ;   but  not  to  me  returns 

Reil  v/ith  the  day  :  Ten  thoufand  hurrying  thoughts 

Bear  me  away  tumultuous  far  from  heaven 

And  heavenly  v/ork.     In  vain  I  heave,  and  toil. 

And  vvreftle  with  my  inward  foes  in  vain, 

O'erpcftver'd  and  vanquifn'd  ftill:  They  drag  me  down 

From  things  celefiial,  and  confine  m.y  fenfe 

To  prefent  maladies.     Unhappy  (late, 

Where  the  poor  fpirit  is  fubdu'd  to  endure 

Unholy  idlencfs,  a  painful  abfence 

From  God,  and  heaven,  and  angels  blefied  work. 

And  bound  to  bear  the  agonies  and  woes 

That  fickly  fiefh  and  fliatter'd  nerves  impofe. 

How  long,  O  L.0RD,  how  long  1 


A  Hymn  of  Praise  for  Recovery. 

T  TAPPY  for  man,  that  the  flow  circling  moons 

_|7j_   And  long  revolving  feafons  meafure  out 

The  tirefome  pains  of  nature  1  Prefent  woes 

Have  their  fweet  periods.     Eafe  and  cheerful  health 

With  llow  approach  (fo  Providence  ordains) 

Revifu  their  forfaken  manfion  here. 

And  days  of  ufeful  life  diffufe  their  dawn 

O'er  the  dark  cottage  of  my  weary  foul. 

My  vital  powers  refume  their  vigor  novv, 

My  fpirit  feels  her  freedom,  fhakes  her  wings. 

Exults  and  fpaiiates  o'er  a  ihoufand  fcenes, 

Surveys 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  5^ 

Surveys  the  world,  and  with  fuiJ  ftrctch  of  thought 

Grafps  her  ideas ;  while  impatient  zeal 

Awakes  my  tongue  ro  praiie,     \Vhac  mortal  voic^ 

Or  mortal  hand  can  render  to  my  God 

The  tribute  due  ^  What  altars  iliall  I  raife  } 

What  grand  infcription  to  proclaim  his  mercy 

In  living  lines  ?  Where  fhall  I  find  a  victim 

Meet  to  be  offered  to  his  fovereign  love. 

And  folemnize  the  worfhip  and  the  joy  ? 

Search  well,  my  foul,  through  all  the  dark  rcccScs 
Of  nature  and  felf-  love,  the  plies,  the  folds. 
And  hollow  winding  caverns  of  the  heart, 
Where  flattery  hides  our  fins ;  fearch  out  the  foea 
Of  thy  Almighty  f:iend;  what  lawlefs  pafFions, 
What  vain  defires,  what  vicious  turns  of  thought 
Lurk  there  unheeded  :  Bring  them  forth  to  view^ 
And  facrifice  the  rebels  to  his  honour. 
Well  he  deferves  this  worfhip  at  thy  hands. 
Who  pardons  tHy  pad  follies,  v,'ho  reftores 
Thy  mouldering  fabric,  and  v/ithholds  thy  life 
from  the  near  borders  of  a  gaping  grave. 

Almighty  Power,  I  love  thee,  blifsful  name^ 
My  Healer  God \  and  m^ay  my  inmoft  heart 
Love  and  adore  for  ever  !  O  'tis  good 
To  wail  fubmiiOive  at  thy  holy  throne. 
To  leave  petitions  at  thy  feet,  and  bear 
Thy  frowns  and  filence  with  a  patient  foul. 
The  hand  of  micrcy  is  not  fnort  to  fave. 
Nor  is  the  ear  of  heavenly  pity  deaf 
To  mortal  cries.     It  notic'd  all  my  groans, 
And  fighs,  and  long  complaints,  with  wife  delays, 
Tho'  painful  to  the  fufferer,  and  thy  hand 
In  proper  m.cment  brought  deHr'd  relief. 

Rife  from  my  couch,  ye  late  enfeebled  lim.bs, 
Prove  your  new  ftrength,  and  fhew  th'  effcdlive  fKill 
Of  the  Divine  Phyfician  ^  bear  away 

D  2  '  This 


52  Memoirs   oP   Dr.  WatTs. 

This  tottering  bodv  to  his  facred  threihold  : 

There  laden  with  his  honours,  let  me  bow 

Before  his  feet ;  let  me  pronounce  his  grace. 

Pronounce  falvation  thro'  his  dying  Son, 

And  teach  this  finful  world  the  Saviour's  name. 

Then  rife,  my  hymning  foul,  on  holy  notes 

Tow'rd  his  high  throne  j  awake,  my  choiceft  fongSj 

Run  echoing  round  the  roof,  and  while  you  pay 

The  folemn  vows  of  my  diftrefsful  hours, 

A  thoufand  friendly  lips  fliall  aid  the  praife.    - 

Jefus,  great  advocate,  whole  pitying  eye 
Saw  my  longanguifh,  and  with  melting  heart 
And  pov/erful  intercefllon,  fpread'ft  my  woes 
With  ail  my  groans  before  the  Father-God, 
Bear  up  my  praifes  now  ;  thy  holy  incenfe 
Shall  hallow  all  my  facrifice  of  jov. 
And  bring  thefe  accents  grateful  co  his  ear. 
My  heart  and  life,  my  lips  and  every  power 
Snatch'd  from*  the  grafp  of  death,  1  here  devote 
By  thy  blefs'd  hands  an  offering  to  his  name. 

Amen^  Hallelujah. 


■>O^S0^O<~-- 


Memoirs  of   Dr.  Watts,  53 

No.  VI. 

An    Elegiac   Ode    at  the   Death    of  Sir 
Thomas   Abney,   Kfiight  and  Alder mim  of 
London,   Feb.  6,    1721-2,  ///  the  83^  Tear  of 
his  Age,     Affi>:ed  to  forne  Memoirs  of  kis  Life, 
and  infcribed 

T(?  the  Lady  Abney. 
madam, 

Your  grief  is  great  and  juft.  It  is  not 
in  the  power  of  verfe  to  charm  it  :  Your  com- 
forts muft  arife  from  a  diviner  fpring.  My  reii- 
dence  in  your  family  hath  made  me  a  witnefs  to 
the  luftre  of  Sir  ThoIvIas  Abney's  character, 
and  to  the  years  of  your  feUcity  \  and  I  bear  a 
fenfible  (hare  in  the  forrows  that  are  flied  on  his 
tomb. 

The  nation  mourns  a  good  man  loft  from  the 
mldft  of  us,  a  public  blefiing  vanifh'd  from  the 
earth.  The  a/y  mourns  the  lofs  of  a  moft  ex- 
cellent magiftrate,  a  fure  friend  to  virtue,  and  a 
guardian  to  the  public  peace.  The  Church  of 
Christ  mourns  a  beautiful  pillar  taken  from 
the  fupport  and  ornament  of  the  tem.ple.  All 
thefe  are  public  forrows  ;  hwt your  lofs.  Madam, 
carries  a  pain  in  it,  that  muft  be  unknov.  n  to  all 
butfuch  as  knew  the  dom.cftic  virtues  of  the  de- 
ceafed. 

Thofe  who  have  the  honor  of  your  Ladyfliip's 
acquaintance,    can  tell   whence  vou  derive  your 
daily  cpnlolations  ;    even  froiii  that  world  where 
D  7   ,  ^  vour 


3'4         ?rlEMoiRS  OF  Dr.  Watts. 

your  departed  relative  drinks  tliem  at  the  foun- 
tain head.  O  may  thole  ftrcams  defcend  in  full 
ineafure  hourly,  and  refrefli  yourfeif  and  your 
mourning  houfe  ! 

But  if  a  verfe  cannot  give  comfort  to  the  liv- 
ings yet  it  may  do  honor  to  the  dead :  and  'tis 
for  this  reafon  that  your  Ladyfhip  defires  a  verfe 
to  attend  thefe  fev^  memorials  of  Sir  Thomas 
Aeney's  life.  His  modefty  hath  concealed  a 
thouiand  things  from  the  world  which  might 
have  ftood  as  witnefles  of  his  piety  and  goodnefs, 
but  he  thought  it  fufficient  that  his  record  was 
on  high  :  3'et  your  unfeigned  lo've  follows  him 
to  the  grave,  and  would  do  every  thing  that 
might  adorn  his  name  and  memory.  Since  you 
have  called  me  to  this  piece  of  fervice,  the  obli- 
gations that  your  Ladyship  hath  laid  upon  me 
are  ftrong  enough  to  fumm.on  up  my  youthful 
pov/ers  and  talents,  even  when  I  look  upon  them 
as  buried  and  almoft  forgotten. 

Befides,  Madam,  there  are  fome  occurrences 
that  can  of  themfelves  rouze  the  mufe  from  the 
deepeil:  ileep-  Poefy  is  not  always  under  the 
command  of  the  will.  As  there  have  been  oc- 
cafions  heretofore  when  I  have  wifhed  to  write, 
but  the  imagination  has  refufed  to  attend  the 
wiOi  ;  fo  there  are  feafons  when  verfe  comes  al- 
m.oft  without  a  call,  and  the  will  might  refift  in 
vain.  A  few  fuch  feafons  have  I  met  with  ia 
the  courfe  of  m.y  lifC;,  and  fome  of  them  have 
found  me  even  in  the  chambers  of  death.  When 
I  have  (pent  days  in  the  midft  of  mourning,  an4 
the  Vv'hole  foul  hath  been  turned  to  forrow,  the 
iarp  hath  founded  of  its  own  accord,  and  awak- 
ened 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts,  55 

cned  all  the  doleful  firings.  Such  was  the  hour 
when  your  dear  and  honored  brother  Mr.  Tho- 
mas Guns  TON  departed  this  life  ;  and  fuch  is 
theprefent  providence.  Uncommon  worth  for- 
faking  our  world,  itrikes  all  the  powers  of  na- 
ture with  fentiments  of  honor  and  grief,  aqd  the 
hand  and  the  heart  confent  to  raife  a  monument 
of  love  and  forrow. 

Accept  then,  honored  yiAJ^Aisi,  thefe  lines  of 
elegy,  as  a  fincere  pledge  of  the  greateft  venera- 
tion which  my  heart  pays  to  the  memory  of  Sir 
Thomas  Abney.  How  far  foever  the  verfe 
may  fall  below  the  theme,  yet  now  it  miuft  al- 
ways live,  fince  it  is  joined  to  thefe  7nemorrs,  and 
attached  to  a  character  that  cannot  die.  And 
while  fucgeedinc^  aees  fliall  read  the  honors  due 
to  the  deceafed,  let  them  know  alfo  the  gratitude 
I  pay  to  your  Ladyfnlp,  for  the  iignal  benefits  of 
many  years  conferred  on 

Your  Ladyship's 

Moft  obliged,  and 

Obedient  Servant;^ 

I,   WATTS, 


^ 


P4. 


^6  Memoirs  qf  Dk.  Watts* 

AT      THE 

Death  of  that  excellent  Man 
Sir    T  H  O  xM  a  S    A  B  N  E  Y, 

A  Soliloquy,  or  Mourning  Meditatioin,. 

^is  dejlderio  Jit  ptidor  aut  modus 
"Tarn  chari  capitis  ?  prcecipe  lugubres 
CantiiSy  Melpomene. 

Ergone  Abneium  perpC'iuiis  fopor 
Urget  ?  Cui  pudor  &  jn.fiiti(2  foror 
Incorrupta  fides,  nudaqiie  Veritas, 

Sluando  ullum  invenient parem  ?    Hor  » 

PART.     I. 

Jlis  private  LifEo 

I. 

BNEY  expires.     A  general  groan 
Sounds  through  the  houfe.    How  mud  a  friend 

[behave 

Where  death  and  grief  have  raised  their  throne, 
And  the  fad  chambers  feem  th'    apartments  of  the 

[grave? 

n. 

Shall  I  appear  among  the  chief 
Of  mourners,  wailing  o'er  the  dear  deceased  ? 

Or  muft  I  feek  to  charm  their  grief. 
And  in  diftrefs  of  foul  to  comfort  the  diflrefs'd  ? 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Watts,  %j 

III. 

I"  mourn  bv  turns,  and  comrorc  too  : 
He  that  can  feel,  can  eafe  another's  fmarC ; 

The  drops  of  fympatnetic  woe 
Convey  the  heavenly  cordial  warnner  to  the  heart, 

lY. 

We  mourn  a  thoufand  joys  deceased. 
We  name  the  huJh^Jid  mth  z  mournful  tongue  ; 

He,  when  the  powers  of  life  decreased. 
Felt  the  diviner  flames  of  love  forever  younq. 


Thrice  happy  man  !   Thrice  happy  pair  ! 
If  love  could  bid  approaching  death  remove. 

The  painful  name  q(  "jjidozv  here 
Had  ever  been  unknown  :  Bun  death  is  deaf  to  love* 

VI. 

*  Aleina  mourns,  fhe  mourns  alone. 
Her  grief  unrival'd  in  a  houfe  of  tears. 

The  partner  of  her  foul  is  gone, 
Who  doubled  all  her  joys,  and  half  fuftain'd  her  cares* 

See  the  fair  offspring  of  the  dead,  If^ 

With  their  young  ^riefs  Albina  ihey  inclofe, 

Befide  \.\itfather\  dying  bed  ; 
And  as  her  woes  increafc,  their  love  and  duty  grows, 

VIII. 

The  children  feel  the  mother's^  pain, 
Pov/n  their  pale  cheeks  the  trickling  forrows  roll  : 

The 

*  The  LaJv  Abncy. 


^         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts* 

The  mether  fees  and  weeps  again, 
V/ith  all  the  tender  pafnons  tlriiggling  in  her  foul^ 

IX. 

The  tender  paffions  reign  and  fprcad 
Thro'  the  whole  houfe,  and  to  the  courts  defcend  : 

We  naourn  the  ht^o(  brothers  dead  ; 
We  mourn  the  kindell  mafler,  and  the  firmefl/nV;^^', 

X. 

We  mourn  ;  but  not  as  wretches  do. 
Where  vicious  lives  all  hope  in  death  deflroy : 

A  falling  tear  is  nature's  due  ; 
Bui  hope  climbs  highj  and  borders  on  celeilialjoy\ 


,  There  fits  the  late  departed/^/;//  ; 
There  dwells  the  hujband,  father ^  brother,  friend  .* 

Then  let  us  ceafe  the  fore  complaint. 
Or  mingled  with  our  groans  let  notes  of  praife  afcend^ 

XII. 

Great  God,  to  thee  we  raife  our  fong. 
Thine  were  the  graces  that  enriched  his  mind  \ 

We  blefs  thee,  that  he  fhone  fo  long, 
And  left  fo  fair  a  track  of  pious  life  behind. 


FART 


AIemoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.         ^^ 

PART      II. 

His  Fuhlic  Character  ci7id  Death^ 
I. 

BUT  can  domedic  forrow  fhew 
A  nation's  lofs  ?  Can  private  tears  fuElce 
To  mourn  ih^JairJ  and  7ider  too, 
Great  names,  {o  rarely  joinM  below  the  bliisful  jlcies  I' 

IL 

Could  Abney  in  our  world  be  born. 
Could  Abney  live,  and  not  Britannia  fmlle  ? 

Or  die,  and  not  Britannia  mourn, 
Y/ben  fuch  ethereal  worth  left  our  degenerate  ifle  ? 

•      III. 

'Twas  heavenly  wifdom,  zeal  divine. 
Taught  him  the  balance  and  the  fword  to  hold  : 

His  looks  with  facredjuftice  (bine 
Pcyond  the  fcarlet  honors,  or  the  wreathen  gold. 

ly. 

Truth,  freedom,  courage,  prudence  fiood 
Attending,  when  he  iiU'd  the  folemn  chair  : 

He  knew  no  friendfhips,  birth,  nor  blood. 
Nor  weaiih,  nor  gay  attire,  when  criminals  were  there. 

V. 

He  fign'd  their  doom  with  fleady  hand  ^ 
Yet  drops   of  pity  from  his  eyelids  roll  : 

H*:^  punifh'd  to  reform  the  land, 
Vrith  terror  on  his  brow,  and  mercy  in  his  foul. 

yi.  His 


(o         Memoirs  of  Dr,  Watts.: 

VL 

His  tongue  was  much  unfklird  to  chide  • 
Soft  were  his  lips,  and  all  his  language  fweet  : 

His  foul  difdain'd  the  airs  of  pride. 
Yet  love  and  reverence  greet  him  thro*  the  crouded' 

[ftreet, 
VII. 

Godlike  he  liv*d  and  aded  here. 
Moving  unfeen,  and  ftill  fublimely  great; 

Yet  when  his  country  claimed  his  care, 
Defcending  he  appear'd,  and  bore  the  pomp  of  flate* 

VIIL 

He  more  than  once  obliged  the  throne. 
And  fav'd  the  nation  -,  yet  he  fhun'd  the  fame, 

Carelefs  to  make  his  merit  known. 
The  chrijlian  hath  enough,    that  heaven  records   his 

[name. 
IX. 

His  humble  foul  conversed  on  high  ; 
Heaven  was  his  hope,  his  reft,   his  native  home  : 

His  treafures  lay  above  the  fky  ; 
Much  he  polTefs'd  on  earth,  but  more  in  v/orlds  to 

[come, 
X. 

With  filent  Heps  he  trac'd  the  wav 
To  the  fair  courts  of  light,  his  wifh'd  abode  ; 

Nor  would  he  alk  a  moment*s  ftay, 
Nor  make   the  convoy  wait,  that   call'd  his  foul  to 

[God. 
XL 

See  the  good  man  with  head  reclin'd. 

And  peaceful  heart,  rcfign  his  precious  breath  : 

No 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts 


6i 


No  guilty  thoughts  opprefs  his  mind  ; 
Cahn  and  ferene  his  life,  ferene  and  calm  his  death; 

XII. 

Laden  with  honors  and  with  years, 
His  vigorous  virtue  fhoc  a  youthful  ray  ; 

And  while  he  ends  his  race,  appears. 
Bright  as  the  fetting  fun  of  a  long  cloudlefs  day. 

XIII. 

Spent  with  the  toil  of  bufy  hourSj 
Nature  retired,  and  life  funk  down  to  fleep  : 

Come,  drefs  the  bed  with  fadelefs  flowers. 
Come,  angels,  round  his  tomb  immortal  vigils  keep, 

XIV. 

The  heart  of  every  Briton  rears 
A  monument  to  Abney's  fpotlefs  fame  : 

The  pencil  faints,  the  mufe  defpairs ; 
His  country's  grief  and  love  muft  eternize  his  name. 


Su  cecinit  mcerens. 
Inter  mcerores  domefticos^ 
Et  patriieju^e  lu5lus^ 


— JQi^^CX— ' 


I.  w. 


No.  VII. 


£z  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts^ 

No.  VII. 
To  Lucius,  o?2  the  Death  £/"  Serena. 

DEAR     SIR, 

k^OME  of  thefe  verfes  attempted  to  footll 
your  forrows  in  a  melancholy  and  diftreffing 
hour  :  They  were  all  finifhed  near  the  fams 
time,  and  united  in  this  form.,  though  they  have 
thus  long  lain  in  filence,  nor  ventured  to  prefent 
themfelves  to  you.  I  am  almoft  in  pain  already, 
left  they  fhould  av^^ake  your  heart-ake,  by  a  re- 
colledion  of  fonie  dear  mournful  images,  and 
vani&ed  fcenes  of  grief.  Let  thefe  lines  rather 
call  your  views  upward  to  the  better  manfions  of 
your  abfent  kindred,  and  awaken  you  to  aim 
every  ftep  of  life  toward  thofe  regions  of  holinefs 
and  joy.     Adieu,  and  be  happy. 

I  am,  Sir, 

'   Your*s,  &c. 

Death    and    Heaven. 
In  Five  Lyrick  Odes. 

ODE.       I. 

The  Sprites  Farcwel  to  the  Body  after  long  Sicknejs. 

I. 

HOW  am  I  held  a  prifoner  now. 
Far  from  my  God  !  This  mortal  chain 
Binds  me  to  forrow  :  All  below 
Is  fhort-liv'd  eafc  or  tirefome  pain. 

II.  Whe» 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 
11. 

When  Oiall  that  wond'rous  hour  appear. 
Which  frees  me  from  this  dark  abode. 

To  live  at  large  in  regions,  where 

Nor  cloud  nor  veil  Ihail  hide  my  God  ? 


IIL 


Farewel  this  flefh,  thefe  fears,  thtfe  eyes, 
Thcfe  fnares  and  fectcrs  of  ihe  mind  i 

My  God,  nor  let  this  frame  arife 
Till  every  dull;  be  well  refin'd. 

IV. 

Jesus,  who  mak'fi  our  nature's  whole. 
Mould  me  a  body  like  thy  own  : 

Then  fhall  it  better  ferve  my  foul 

In  works  cf  praife  and  worlds  unknown. 


O     D     E     11. 


K3 


"The  Departing  Moment  ;   or,  A^/ent  from  the  Body. 

I. 

ABSENT  from  Pielli  !  O  blifsful  thought  ! 
What  unknown  joys  this  moment  brings  ! 
Treed  from  the  mifchiefs  fin  hath  wrought. 
From  pains,  and  tears,  and  all  their  iprings. 

II. 

Ahjent  from  fleJJj  1  illuftrious  day  ! 

Surprifing  fcene  !  triumphant  fcroke. 
That  rends  the  prifon  of  my  clay. 

And  I  can  feel  my  fetters  broke  1 

III.  Jhfen 


^4  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Wattj,* 

III, 

Ahfcnt  from  flejh  }  Then  rife,  my  foul. 
Where  feet  or  wings  could  never  climb^ 

Beyond  the  heavens  where  planers  roll, 
Meafuring  the  cares  and  joys  of  time» 

IV. 

I  go  where  God  and  glory  fliine  ; 

His  preiencc  makes  eternal  day* 
Mv  all  that's  mortal  I  refign, 

For  Uriel  waits  and  points  my  way^ 

ODE     III. 


-Entrance  into  Paradife  ;  or,  Trcjent  with  the  Lord* 

L 

AND  IS  this  heaven  ?  And  am  I  there  f 
How  fhort  the  road  1  how  Iwift  the  flight  : 
I  am  all  life,  all  eye,  all  ear  ; 

Jesus  is  here, — my  foul's  delight. 

11. 


I  Is  this  the  heavenly  friend  who  hung 

In  blood  and  anguifii  on  the  tree. 
Whom  Fmd  proclaim'd,  whom  David  fung^, 
'^'        W^ho  dy'dfor  them,  who  dy'd  for  me  I 


III. 

How  fair  thou  offspring  of  my  God  ! 

Thou  firffc-born  image  of  his  face  \ 
Thy  death  procur'd  this  bled  abode. 

Thy  viral  beams  adorn  the  place, 


IV.  I^, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.         6^ 
IV. 

Loj  he  prefents  me  at  the  throne 

All  fpotlefs  5    there  the  Godhead  reigns 

Sublime  and  peaceful  through  the  Son  : 
Awake,  my  voice,  in  heavenly  drains. 

O     D     E     IV. 

I'he  Sight  of  God  in  Heaven^ 
I. 

CREATOR-GOD,  eternal  light. 
Fountain  of  good,  tremendous  power, 
Ocean  of  wonders,  blifsful  fight  ! 
Beauty  and  love  unknown  before! 

II. 

Thy  grace,  thy  nature,  all  unknown 

In  yon  dark  region  whence  I  camiC  ; 
Where  languid  glimpfes  from  thy  throne 

And  feeble  whifpers  teach  thy  name. 

III. 

Tm  in  a  world  where  all  is  new  ; 

Myfelf,  my  God  ;  O  bled  amaze  ! 
Not  my  beft  hopes  or  v;ilhes  knew 

To  form  a  (hadow  cf  this  grace. 

IV. 

Fix'd  on  my  God,  my  heart,  adore  : 

My  reftlefs  thoughts,  forbear  to  rove  : 
Ye  meaner  paflions,  ftir  no  more  ; 
But  all  my  powers  be  joy  and  love. 

ODE  Vo 
E 


to         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Wa'tts* 


O    D    E     V. 

^  Funeral  Ode  at  the  Interment  of  the  5^^v, 
Suppo/ed  to  he  Jung  hy  the  Mourners,, 

I. 

UNVEIL  thy  bofom,  faiihful  tomb  -, 
Take  this  new  trcafure  to  thy  truft^ 
And  give  thefe  (acred  reiicks  room 
To  feek  a  flun^ber  in  the  duft. 

II. 

Nor  pain,  nor  grief,  nor  anxious  fear 
Invade  thy  bounds.     No  mortal  woes 

Can  reach  the  lovely  deeper  here. 
And  angels  watch  her  fofc  repofe. 

III. 

So  Jesus  flept  :  God's  dying  Son 

Pafl  thro'  the  grave,  and  blell:  the  bed. 

Reft  here,  fair  faint  ;  till  from  his  throne 
The  morning  break  and  pierce  the  iliade. 

IV. 

Break  from  his  throne,  illudrious  morn  ; 

Attend,  O  earth,  his  fovereign  word  j 
Rcftore  thy  truft,  a  glorious  form  ;  ! 

She  muft  afcend  to  meet  her  Lord. 


No.  VI 11, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts,         67 


No.  VIII. 

On  the  Coronation  of  their  Majefties  Kiijg  GeOxige 
II.  and  ^ieenQpLKQhi^'E.y  O^ober  11,  1727. 

ne  Coron'ation-Day.     An  Ode. 

ISE,  happy  morn  ;  fair  fun,  arife  ; 
Shed  radiant  gold  around  the  flcies, 
!and  rich  in  beams  and  blefTings  Ihine 
Profufe  on  George  and  CaPvOline. 

II. 

Illuftrious  pair  !  no  tear  to-day 

Bedew  the  royal  parents  clay  ! 

'Tis  George  the  bled  remounts  the  throne^ 

With  double  vigour  in  his  fon. 

III. 

Lo,  the  majeftic  form  appears, 
Sparkling  in  life  and  manly  > ears  : 
The  kingdom's  pride,  the  nation's  choice. 
And  heaven  approves  Britannia's  voice. 

IV, 


Monarch,  afTume  thy  powers,  and  fland 
The  guardian-hero  of  our  land  : 
Let  Albion's  fons  thy  ftyle  proclaim, 
And  dillant  realms  revere  thy  name. 


V. 


Bear  on  thy  brows  th'  imperial  crown  j 
Rebellion  dies  beneath  thy  frown  : 
A  thoufand  gems  of  luftre  ilicd 
Their  lights  and  honours  round  thy  head. 


VI.  \M 


68  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

VI. 

IJft  up  thy  rod  of  majefty,* 

The  foes  of  God  and  man  fhall  flee  : 

Vice  with  her  execrable  band 

Shakes  at  the  fword  in  George's  hand. 

VII. 

Law,  juftice,  valour,  mercy  ride 
In  arms  of  triumph  at  his  fide  : 
And  each  celeftial  grace  is  fecn 
In  milder  glories  round  the  Queen. 

VIII. 

Hail,  royal  fair  !  divinely  wife  I 
Not  Aujirian  crowns  f  could  tempt  thy  eyes 
To  part  with  truth.     'Twas  brave  difdain. 
When  CiESAR  figh'd,  and  lov'd  in  vain. 

IX. 

But  heaven  provides  a  rich  reward  : 
George  is  thy  lover  and  thy  lord  : 
The  Britijh  lion  bears  thy  fame. 
Where  Aujirian  eagles  have  no  name. 


See  the  fair  train  of  princes  near  : 
Come,  Frederick,  royal  youth,  appear. 
And  grace  the  day.     Shall  foreign  charms 
Still  hold  thee  from  thy  country's  arms, 

xi. 

Britain,  thy  country  ?  Prince  arife. 
The  morning  ftar  to  gild  our  fliics  5 

*  The  fceptre.  ^        "^^^ 

i  Archducal  and  ImpeiiaL 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  ^9, 

(O  may  no  cloud  thy  luRre  (lain  !) 
Come  lead  along  the  fliining  train. 

XII. 

Each  in  parental  virtues  drefs'd. 

Each  born  to  make  a  nation  blefh'd  : 

What  kings,  what  heroes  yet  ungrown, 

Shall  coiirc  the  nymphs  to  grace  their  throne  ! 

XIII. 

Mark  that  young  branch*  of  rifing  famCj 
Proud  of  our  great  deliverer's  name  : 
He  promifes  in  infant  bloom. 
To  fcourge  fome  tyrant  power  of  E.cine, 

XIV. 

Bloom  on,  fair  ftem  !  Each  flower  that  blows, 
Adds  new  defpair  to  y1lhion\  foes, 
And  kills  their  hearts.     O  glorious  view 
Of  joys  for  Albion^  ever  new  ! 

XV. 

Religion,  duty,  truth  and  love. 
In  ranks  of  honours  fhine  and  move  ; 
Pale  envy,  flander,  fraud  and  fpite, 
Retire,  and  hide  in  caves  of  night. 

XVI. 

Europe,  behold  the  amazing  fcene  : 
Empire  and  Liberty  convene 
To  join  their  joys  and  v/ifhes  here. 
While  Rome  and  Hdl  confent  to  fear. 

E  3  XVII,  Eternal 

*  Prince  William. 

K 


¥ 


70  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts, 

XVIL 

Eternal  God,  whofe  boiindlefs  fway 
Angels  and  ftarry  worlds  obey, 
Conamand  thy  choiceft  favours  down. 
Where  thy  own  hands  have  fiix'd  the  crown, 

XVIIL 

Conne,  light  divine,  and  grace  unknown^ . 
Come,  aid  the  labours  of  the  throne  : 
Let  Britain's  golden  ages  run^, 
In  circles  lading  as  the  fun. 

XIX. 

Bid  fome  bright  legion  from  the  ficy 

AHilt  the  glad  folemnity  : 

Ye  holts  that  wait  on  favorite  kings. 

Wave  your  broad  fvvords,  and  clap  your  wings, 

XX. 

Then  rife,  and  to  your  realms  convey 
The  glorious  tidings  of  the  day  : 
Greac  William  fhali  rejoice  to  know, 
That  George  the  ftcond  reigns  below. 


No.  IX. 

Redemption, 

I. 


THE  mighty  frame  of  glorious  grace. 
That  brighteft  monument  of  praifc 
Ihate'cr  the  God  of  love  defjgn'd. 
Employs  and  fills  my  labouring  mind. 


II.  Begin 


.  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.         ^ 

II. 

Begin,  my  mufe,  the  heavenly  Tong, 
A  burden  for  an  angel's  tongue  : 
"When  Gabriel  founds  ihefe  awful  things. 
He  tunes  and  furTimons  all  his  firings, 

III. 

proclaim  inimitable  love  : 
Jefus  the  Lord  of  worlds  above, 
PuLS  oiT  the  beams  of  bright  array. 
And  veils  the  God  in  mortal  clay^ 

IV. 

What  black  reproach  defil'd  his  name. 
When  with  our  fm  betook  our  (hame  I 
The   Power  whom  kneeling  angels  blelt 
Is  made  the  hnpious  rabble's  jeit. 


He  that  diftributes  crowns  and  thrones. 
Hangs  on  a  tree  and  bleeds  and  groans  : 
The  P/ince  of  Life  refigns  his  breath. 
The   King  of  Glory  bows  to  death. 

VI. 

But  fee  the  wonders  of  his  power. 
He  triumphs  in  his  dying  hour. 
And  v/hilft  by  Satan's  rage  he  fell^ 
He  dafht  the  rifing  hopes  of  hell. 

VII. 

Thus  v/cre  the  hofls  of  death  fubdu'd. 
And  fin  was  drown'd  in  ye/us'  blood  5 
Then  hv?  arofe,  and  reigns  above, 
And  conquers  finners  bv  his  love, 

E  4  .  -     No.  X. 


m 


j2         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts^ 
No.  X. 

Complaint  and  Hope  under  great  Pain,     173^, 
L 

LORD,  I  am  pain'd  ;  but  I  refign 
To  thy  fuperior  will  : 
'Tis  grace,  'tis  wifdom  all  divine. 
Appoints  the  pains  I  feel. 

II. 

Dark  are  thy  ways  of  Providence, 

While  thofe  that  love  thee  groan  s 
Thy  reafons  lie  concealed  from  fenfe, 

Myftcrious  and  unknown. 

III. 

Yet  nature  may  have  leave  to  fpeak. 

And  plead  before  her  God, 
Left  the  t^'erburden'd  heart  Ihould  break 

Beneath  thy  heavy  rod. 

IV. 

Will  nothing  but  fuch  daily  pain 

Secure  my  foul  from  hell  ? 
Canft  thou  not  make  my  health  attaiq 

Thy  kind  ^efigns  as  well  I 


How  fhall  my  tongue  proclaim  thy  grace 
While  thus  at  home  confined  ? 

What  can  I  write,  while  painful  ftelh 
Hangs  heavy  on  the  mind  ? 


VI.  Thefe 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  73 

VI. 

Thefe  groans  and  fighs,  and  flowing  tears, 

Give  my  poor  fpirit  eafe, 
While  every  groan  my  Faiher  hears, 

And  every  tear  he  iees. 

VIL 

Is  not  fome  fmiling  hour  at  hand 

With  peace  upon  it's  win^^s  ? 
Give  it,  O  God,  thy  fwift  command, 

With  all  the  joys  it  brings. 

No.  XL 
"The    'Diamo'nd  painted. 

HOW  wide  and  unhappy  a  mifiake  It  is 
when  chriflians  endeavour  to  adorn  their 
pure  droine  worjhip  by  the  mixture  of  it  with 
ceremonies  of  human  invention.  The  fymbolicai 
ordinanances  of  the  gofpel  have  a  noble  fimpli- 
city  in  them  :  Their  materials  are  ^u^ater,  bread 
and  ^'ine,  three  of  the  mofl:  neceffary  and  valu- 
able things  in  humai}  life  ;  and  their  myjlic  fenfe 
is  plain,  natural  and  eafy.  By  ^water  we  arc 
cleanfed  when  we  have  been  defiled  ;  fo  by  the 
grace  oi  the  holy  Spirit  w^e  are  purified  from  fin,  |« 
which  pollutes  our  fouls  in  the  fight  of  God. 
By  bread  we  are  fed  when  v/e  are  hungry,  o.nA 
nouriflied  into  ftrength  for  fervice  :  By  wine  wc 
are  refreflied  and  revived  when  thirfiy  and  faint- 
ing; fo  from  the  body  of  Chrijt  which  v/as  bro- 
ken as  an  atoning  facrince,  and  his  blood  which 
was  poured  out   for   U3,  wc   deiive  cur  ipirltu:i! 

hfo 


74  Memoirs  of  Dr.  V/atts. 

life  and  ftrength.  The  application  of  thefe  fym« 
bols  is  moft  fimple,  and  natural  alfo  :  We  are 
commanded  to  'wajld  with  the  water,  to  eat  the 
bread,  and  to  drink  the  wine  :  moft  proper  re-. 
prefentations  of  cur  participation  of  thefe  bene- 
fits. 

Thus  much  of  fi2;ures  and  emblems  did  the 
all-wife  God  think  proper  to  appoint  and  con- 
tinue in  his  church,  when  he  brake  the  yoke  of 
Jewljh  bondage,  and  aboliihed  a  multitude  of 
rites  and  ceremonies  of  his  own  ancient  appoint- 
ment. How  plain,  how  natural,  how  glorious, 
how  divine  arc  thefe  two  cmijVian  inftitutions, 
Baptipn  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  if  farvcyed  and 
pradtjfed  in  their  original  iimplicity  !  but  they 
are  debafed  by  the  addition  of  any  fantaftic  orna^ 
ments. 

Vvhat  think  ye  of  all  the  gaudy  trappings  and 
golden  finery  that  is  mingled  with  the  chrijlian 
worihip  by  the  imaginations  of  men  in  the 
church  of  'Rome  ?  Are  they  not  like  fo  many 
fpots  and  blemiflies  call  upon  a  fair  jewel  by  fome 
foolifli  painter  ?  Let  the  colours  be  never  fo 
fprightly  and  glowing,  and  the  luftre  of  the  paint 
never  fo  rich,  yet  if  you  place  them  on  a  dia- 
mond they  are  fpots  and  blemilhes  ftiik  Is  not 
this  a  juft  emblem  to  reprefent  all  the  gay  airs, 
and  rich  and  glittering  accoutr(^ments  wherewith 
the  church  of  Rome  hath  furrounded  her  devo- 
tions and  her  public  religion  ? 

The  reformers  of  our  worlliip  in  the  church 
cf  E?2gla7id  were  much  of  this  mind,  for  they 
boldly  pafs  this  cenfure  on  many  of  the  Popijh 
cercir.onies,  that  they  entered  into  the  church  by 

iindifcrect 


Memoirs  of   Dr,  Vv'atts,  75 

tindlfcreet  devotion  and  zeal  wit  hoi:  t  knowledge  : 
"They  blinded  the  people^  and  obfcured  the  glory  of 
God,  and  arc  worthy  to  be  cut  away  and  clean  re^ 
jeofed  :  That  they  did  ?no?r  confound  and  darken ^ 
than  declare  and Jst  forth  Chriji's  benefits  unto  nsy 
cind  reduced  us  again  to  a  ceremonial  law,  like  that 
of  MofeSj  and  to  the  bondage  of  figures  and  pa-- 
dows  :  This  is  their  ientence  and  judgment  con- 
cerning many  of  the  Ro?nif:)  rites,  in  the  preface 
to  the  book  of  common  prayer,  Happy  had  it 
been  for  Great  Britain  if  they  had  thought  fo 
concerning  all  of  them,  fince  they  had  ail  the 
fame  or  a  worfe  original,  and  they  all  tend  to  the 
fame  unhappy  end  !  However,  let  others  take 
their  liberty  of  colouring  all  their  jewels  w^ith 
what  greens  and  purples  and  fcarlets  they  pleafe  ; 
but  for  my  own  part  I  like  a  diam.ond  beil  that 
}ias  no  paint  upon  it. 


'yQ^m>^— 


SECOND 


76  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 


SECOND     APPENDIX. 

'From  a  Life  of  Br,  Watts,  by   Samuel  Palmer. 
No.   I. 

A?2  authentic  Account  of  Dr.  Watts's  lajj 
avowed  fentiments  concerning  the  DoBrine  of 
the  Trinity,  the  Deity  of  Christ  ,  &c, 

,F  all  the  controverfies  which  have  been 
agitated  in  the  chriilian  church,  there  is 
fcarcely  any  one  that  has  been  more  conftantly 
kept  up,  or  condu6led  with  greater  w^armth,  or 
with  a  more  intemperate  and  unchriftian  zeal, 
than  that  of  the  J'rm/ty,  or  the  Divinity  of  the 
Son  and  Spirit  of  God.  It  is  unneceffary  to  re- 
late the  different  opinions  which  have  been  held 
on  thefe  fubjedts,  or  to  mention  the  names  of 
their  authors  or  principal  abettors. 

It  is  well  known  to  moft  readers  hov/  the 
Trinitarian  controverfy  was  revived  in  Dr.  IVatts's 
time,  both  among  the  Clergy  of  the  efhabliflied 
church,  and  the  Diffenting  minifters,  and  to 
what  height  matters  were  carried  by  the  con- 
tending parties.  Some  yet  living  well  remem- 
ber, what  it  miight  be  wifhed  fliould  for  ever  be 
forgotten,  the  animofities  which  prevailed  at  the 
meetinc^s  of  the  London  minifters  at  Walters 
Ilall^  on  the  bufmefs  of  Subfcription  to  a  Teft 
propofed  for  afcertaining  the  orthodoxy  of  thofe 
that  belonged  to  that  body,  with  refped  to  thefe 
points  of  dodrine.  Many 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Watts.  77 

Many  of  thofe  who  had  been  always  under- 
ilood  to  beUeve  them  refufed  to  fubfcrlbe  any 
Teft  whatever,  and  of  this  number  was  Dr. 
TVattSy  who,  though  he  w^as  in  the  main  in  the 
orthodox  faith,  and  had  written  in  defence  of  it, 
did  not  choofe  to  fet  his  hand  to  any  human  for- 
mularies, which  might  be  the  occafion  of  in- 
vidious diil:in6tions  and  unchriftian  feparations 
amono:  brethren. 

In  this,  as  well  as  other  difputable  matters, 
the  natural  mildnefs  of  his  temper,  and  his  en- 
larged charity,  which  was  the  confequence  of 
his  impartial  in ve {ligation  of  fo  difficult  a  fub- 
jedt,  led  him  to  adl  the  part  of  a  moderator. 

In  his  book  entitled  Orthodoxy  and  Charity 
unltedy  he  had  a  view  to  this  dodlrine  among 
others,  and  inferted  an  Effay  to  fhew  the  room 
there  is  for  mutual  forbearance  and  candor. 

This  moderation  which  the  Dodor  profeiied 

and  maintained,  led  fome   party-zealots   to   fup- 

pofe  that  he  had   departed   from   the  faith,   and 

there  were   thofe  who  fcrupled  not  to  call  him 

,  an  Arian . 

\\  The  truth  of  the  matter  was,  that  he  no  more 
jjdeferved  this  opprobrious  name  than  thofe  who 
I  jftigmatized  him  with  it ;  tho'  it  muft  be  owned, 
jthat  his  manner  of  conceiving  and  explaining 
fome  things  relating  to  the  Trinitarian  dodtrine 
ivas  different  from  that  of  the  generality  of  thofe 
who  were  called  orthodox. 

In  the  younger  part  of  life  he  feem.cd  to  em- 
3race  the  dodrine  as  it  had  been  commonly  fla- 
ed,  and  had  no  objedion  to  the  ufual  modes  of 
■xprefiion  in  relation  to  it.     But,  as  it  was  not 

his 


y9         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts* 

his  charad:er  to  take  any  thing  upon  truft,  he 
indulged  a  freedom  of  enquiry  with  refpefl:  to 
this  fubjecfl  of  debate,  as  well  as  every  other, 
and  the  ccnfequence  was,  he  faw  reafon  to  alter 
his  views  concerning  it. 

With  what  ferioufnefs  and  hunriility  he  con- 
dud:ed  his  enquiries,  and  how  earneftly  he  de- 
lired  to  know  the  truth,  appears  from  a  piece 
found  among  his  manufcripts,  entitled  ^  Solemn 
Addrefs  to  the  great  and  ever-bleffed  God,  &c. 
which  is  printed  in  the  fourth  volume  of  his 
works,  and  of  which  we  fhall  hereafter  give  a 
copy  at  length. 

It  has  been  confidently  aflerted  byfome  Anti^ 
trinitarians,  that  the  Dodtor  before  his  death  was 
come  over  to  their  party,  and  that  he  left  fome 
papers  behind  him.,  containing  a  recantation  of 
his  former  fentiments,  v/hich  his  executors ; 
thought  it  moil  prudent  to  fapprefs.  A  report 
of  this  kind  was  lately  revived,  with  the  men- 
tion of  fome  remarkable  circumftances  in  con- 
firmation of  it,  in  the  Monthly  Review,  of  which 
we  iliall  take  fome  diilindt  notice  hereafter. 

Some  zealous  patrons  of  the  micft  rigid  ortho- 
doxy, unwilling  to  have  fo  eminent  a  divine  as 
Dr.  Watts  numbered  among  the  apoflates  from 
it,  have  zealcuily  maintained  fuch  reports  as  the 
above  to  be  mere  fictions  ;  others  have  allowed 
that  he  might  have  expreffed  himfelf  unguarded- 
ly, and  that  he  had  adopted  fome  modes  of  fpeech 
inconfjftent  with  his  fcrm.er  views  on  the  fub- 
je6l  \  but  have  endeavoured  to  exculpate  him  by 
urging  the  decay  of  his  faculties,  through  age 
and  intenfe  application    to  lludy.     And  others 

have 


Memoii^s   of  Dr.  Watts.  ^9 

liave  allov/ed  that  he  had  indeed  for  a  time  criven 
into  Anti-trinitarian  fentiments,  but  that  before 
his  death  he  was  happily  recovered  to  the  right 
faith.  Asa  proof  of  the  reality  of  his  conver- 
llon  one  Mr.  ^oplady^  in  a  periodical  publica- 
tion, was  rafh  enough  to  print  a  Hymn  of  the 
Doclors  on  the  Deity  of  Chriil:,  which  he  fan- 
cied bore  the  evident  marks  of  the  infirmities  of 
age.  But  unhappily  for  this  w^'iter  thefe  were 
in  reality  the  infirmities  of  youth  :  for  this 
Hymn  was  actually  inferted  in  the  firft  edition 
of  the  Lyric  PoemSy  and  by  the  author  himfelf 
left  out  of  the  fubiequent  ones.  This  circum.- 
ftance  Dr.  Gibbons  has  particularly  mentioned, 
with  a  fevere  and  juft  cenfure  of  Mr.  T'oplady^ 
both  for  his  temerity  in  publishing  this  hymn  as 
the  production  of  the  author's  old  age,  and  alfo 
for  his  groundlefs  affertions  refpedling  the  decay 
of  his  mental  faculties. 

Dr.  Gibbons  however  has  taken  care  to  avoid 
faying  any  thing  which  might  lead  to  a  difcove- 
ry  v/ith  reference  to  any  alteratiDU  of  Dr.  Watts'^ 
fentiments  about  the  Trinity  ;  which  occafioned 
fome  unknown  v/riter  to  addrefs  to  him  a  letter 
in  the  W'ejhninjler  Magazine^  of  which  it  may 
not  be  amifs  to  infert  a  copy,  which  is  as  fol- 
io Vvs. 

**  Ti?  the  Rev.  Dr,  Gibbons. 

*'  REV.  SIR, 


N""  your  *^  Memoirs"  of  the  truly  great 
and  excellent  Dr.  Waits,  you  certainly  did  right 
in  attempting  to  re.flify  any  miftakes  into  v/hich 

the 


So         MexMoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

the  Public  had  been  led,  concerning  him  or  his 
writings,  by  any  erroneous  accounts  iflbed  from 
the  pens  of  ignorant  or  evil-defigning  men.  I 
was  glad  to  find  that  you  had  fo  well  refuted  the 
idle  ftories  which  have  been  fo  generally  report- 
ed and  credited  concerning  the  Dodlor's  **  lois 
of  his  intelledls"  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  and 
*'  his  ftrange  chimeras  of  fancy,"  which  a  late 
Biographer  (you  fay  Mr.  T^oplady )  hath  retailed 
much  to  his  difadvantage.  I  was  alfo  glad  that 
you  had  expofed  a  palpable  *'  miftake"  (if  not 
pious  fraud)  of  the  fame  writer  refpecling  a  po- 
etical piece  of  the  Dodlor's  ''  on  the  Sufferings 
and  Glory  of  Christ,"  as  one  of  the  lateft  of 
his  compofures,  p.  313. 

But  I  am  greatly  furprifed  to  find  that  you 
have  pafled  over  in  total  filence  a  matter  of  far 
greater  moment  than  either  of  thefe,  which  the 
fame  writer  mentions,  with  equal  confidence,  in 
the  very  fame  paper  ;  and  for  the  fake  of  which 
.'ilone  this  Poem  is  introduced.  *'  He  tells  us, 
''  that  the  Dodlor  had  fallen  into  erroneous  no- 
tions with  refped  to  the  Dodlrine  of  the  Trinity 
— but  that  God  had  mercy  upon  him  before  he 
left  the  world,  and  recovered  him  to  the  ortho- 
dox faith  -y  and  as  a  proof  of  this  he  produces 
the  above  Hymn,  which  he  fays,  **  to  the  beft 
of  his  knowledge,  had  never  before  appeared  in 
print,  and  which  feems,  from  the  unfinifiied 
ibte  in  which  he  left  it,  to  have  been  one  of  the 
lail:  products  of  his  poetical  pen."  Give  me 
leave.  Sir,  to  fay,  that  it  appears  to  me,  and  oth- 
ers of  your  readers,  very  extraordinary  that  you 
lliould  have  thought  it  worth  your  while  to  ani- 
madvert 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Watts.  8i 

madvert  (and  that  with  fome  degree  of  ieverity) 
upon   a   chronological  error  of  fuch    fmall  ini- 
portance  in  itfelf,   and    to  ufe   fo  many  words  to 
latisfy  us  that  the  Doctor  VvTote  this  piece  in  ear- 
ly life,    and  to  account  for  its   being  omitted  in 
the  later  editions  of  his  Poems  ;  and  yet  that  you 
fliould  not  have  faid  ''  one  word"  refped:ing  *'  the 
grand  matter  of  fact"  for  the    fupport  of  which 
this  piece   is  produced,   and  for  which  Only  the 
latenefs  of  its  date  is  afferted.     From  your  total 
filcncc   with  regard  to  the  fa6l  itfelf,   your  read- 
ers,   who   have  fesn  Mr.  'Toplady^  account,   are 
not  merely  left  in  a  ftate  of   fufpenfe  ;   but,    as 
you  have,  by  proving  the  early  date  of  this  Po- 
em, removed  his  only  argument  that  Dr.  Watts 
was  recovered  from  his  iuppofed    errors  before 
his  (L^ath,    you  have  left   us  to  conclude  that  he 
die*:  in  them  :  and,    moreover,    by   maintaining 
'^  the  foundnefs  of  his  intellects,"  vou  have  de- 
prived  his  friends   and  admirers  of  a  plea  Vv^hich 
has  often  been  '*  charitably"  urged  in  his  favour. 
Thus  have  you  left  the  *^  SabelHans"  to  triumph, 
as  having  the  mature  judgment,  the  dying  fenti- 
ments  of  the  learned,    the   pious,   the   impartial 
Watts  on  their  fide  ;    for  his   later    publications 
feem  moft  to  favour  the  **  Sabeliian"  fcheme. 

It  has  been  pretty  generally  reported,  that  the 
Doctor  left  feme  papers  to  be  publiflied  after  his 
(ieath,  containing  his  kft  fentiments  on  that  fub- 
jed:,  which  had  been  the  objed:  of  his  laborious 
and  impartial  enquiry  through  a  great  part  of 
his  life  j  but  his  executors  thought  it  mod:  pru- 
dent to  fupprefs,  if  not  defiroy  theni.  The 
Public  have  a  right  to  aik  you.  Sir,  what  was 
F  l]:e 


82  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

the  real  matter  of  fad  ?  You  juflly  obferve,  that 
**  peribns  who  attempt    to  communicate  to  the 
pubhc  the  memoirs  of  deccafed   perfcns,  ought 
to  make   themfelves  acquainted  with  their  wri- 
tings, dates,"  &c.     And  furcly  thofe  who  write 
theHves  of  eminent  Divines,  ihould  be  acquaint- 
ed with,  and  ready    to  communicate,    what  was 
moft  remarkable   concerning  their  reli^^ious  fen- 
timents,    and  the   refult  of  their  enquiries  after 
TRUTH  :  an   objed,    let  me  fiy,   of  far  greater 
importance,  and  more  worthy  of  being  known, 
than  the  higheft  degree  of  **  poetical"  merit.     It 
would  not  be  a  mere  matter  of  *' curiofity"  to 
know   the  laft  fentiments  of  fo  great  and  good  a 
man  as  Dr.   Wctts^  with  regard  to  the  Trinity  ; 
but  it  would  have   had  a  very  important  tenden- 
cy to  affift  others  in  forming  their  judgment  oa 
fuch    a    capital  article   of  Chriilian   faith.     It 
would  Jikewife   tend    to  remove  the  prejudices, 
and  abate    the  cenfures,    of  many  againfl  thofe 
who  cannot  affent  to   the   popular  opinions  (or 
rather  the  popular  "  phrafeology")  to  be  inform- 
ed (if  indeed  it  be  fo)  that  even  Dr.  JVatts  him- 
felf,   who  had  been  under  ilrong  and    early  pre- 
judices in  their  favour,  and  had  written  in  defence 
of  them,  Vv^as  obliged  at  length  to  give  them  up. 
As,  on  the  other  hand,    if  it  be  true   (as  Mr. 
^oplady  affirmis)    that   though  this  eminent  Di- 
vine had    departed    from  the    Catholic  Dodrine 
ibr  a  time,  he  was  reclaimed  before  he  died  ;  the 
linowledge  of  it,   together  with  the  occafion  oi 
his  fall,  and  the  means  of  his  recoveiy,  might  be 
inftrumental  to  cmard  others  ap-ainll,  and  recover 
them  from,  the  fame  erroneous  opinions. 

''  After 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts,  £z 


>> 


*'  After  all  that  you  have  told  us  concerning 
your  great  intimacy  w*ith  Dr.  Watts,  and  your 
minute  acquaiiitance  with  the  circumftances  of 
his  death  (even  to  the  appearance  of  his  corpfe 
in  the  coffin)  it  cannot  be  fuppofed  that  you 
/hould  be  a  ftranger  to  this  affair*  And  give  me 
leave  to  fay,  that  candor  andjuilice  call  upon  you 
to  declare  what  you  know  concerning  it,  Ycu 
tell  us  of  the  Dodor  what  is  much  to  his  hon- 
our (p.  136)  **  that  thofe  prime  and  radical  con- 
ftituents  of  a  truly  good  charadler,  "  Truth/* 
and  ^^  Sincerity/'  were  very  confpicuous  in  him  ^ 
and  that  you  never  obferved  him,  in  any  of  his 
converfes,  in  the  leaft  degree  affed:  to  conceal  or 
difguife  any  fentimental  differences  in  religion 
betv/een  himfelf  and  others;  but  on  the  other 
hand,  he  appeared  quite  open  and  free  to  a  de-^ 
claration  of  them,  whenever  an  occaiion  offered.'^ 
Why  then  fliould  his  Biographer  make  any  le- 
cret  of  them  ?  Your  "  open  and  free  dsclaiation" 
refpeding  the  fubjed  of  this  Letter  is  eiientially 
neceifary  to  your  fupporting  the  charader  of 
which  you  are  juftly  ambitious,  the  difciple  and 
the  friend  of  Dr.  Watts  3  which  that  you  may. 
is  the  wiili  of. 

Rev.  Sir, 

Your  obedient  fervaiit^ 

W M    S MS :-7. 

W— M—R,  Nov.  7,  i7S<5. 

F:^  To 


S4         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

To  this  letter  the  good  Dodor  did  not  think 
proper  to  give  any  anlvver.  Nor  has  he,  nor 
any  one  ehe,  refuted  the  afiertions  above  referred 
to.  From  hence  many  will  be  inclined  to  give 
them  credit. 

Bat  though  it  is  undeniable  that  Dr.  IVatts 
did  not  continue  in  the  fame  view^s  of  the  fubjedt 
which  he  entertained  in  the  early  part  of  his  life, 
there  is  no  decifive  evidence  that  he  materially 
altered  his  fentiments  concerning  the  Trinitarian 
dodrine  within  any  iliort  fpace  of  his  death,  and 
it  is  highly  improbable  that  he  fliould.  Kc  had 
for  many  years  made  this  point  the  fubjedt  of  his 
laborious  and  im.partial  fludy,  and  within  about 
two  years  of  his  diffolution  he  publiilied  the  re- 
fjlt  of  his  enquiries,  from  which  it  is  fcarcely 
credible  that  he  fhould  in  fo  ihort  a  time  have 
greatly  deviated. 

Dr.  Watts  died  Nov.  25,  1748.  His  book 
entitled  U/cful  and  Import  ant  ^.ejiions  concerning 
Jefus  Chrijt  the  Son  of  God,  is  dated  1746.  And 
the  fame  year  (moft  probably  towards  the  clofe 
of  it)  he  printed  another  work,  in  which  he  fur- 
ther illuftrates  and  defends  his  opinion  concern- 
ing the  perfon  of  Chrift,  entitled  ^Ije  Glory  of 
Chrijt  as  God-man  difplaycd,  6cc. 

Confidering  how  many  years  the  Do6lor  had 
made  this  fubjcd  his  fludy,  how  deliberate  he 
w^as  in  forming  his  fentiments,  and  how  cautious 
he  was  of  publiihing  them  to  the  world,  it  feems 
moft  natural  to  look  for  his  lafl  fentiments  on 
this  much  difputed  point  in  theie  two  pieces  ; 
avid  the  rather  as  the  book  which  was  writtea 
againft  him  oa  the  Arian  fide  by  Mr.  7'omki?2s 

(which 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  V/atts.  8j 

(which  might  be  thought  mod  likely  to  have 
made  him  a  convert,  if  he  had  been  one)  was 
printed  previous  to  either  of  thefe.* 

It  is  certain  thefe  pieces  contain  the  lall  au- 
tlicntic  account  of  his  fentiments,  as  avowed  by 
himfdf,  and  therefore  till  fome  deciiive  proof  be 
brought  of  a  fubfequent  recantation,  the  view 
which  thefe  bocks  give  of  the  matter,  might 
juftly  be  confidered  as  Dr.  Watts's  laft  thoughts 
on  the  fubjedl  of  the  Trinity. 

From  thefe  it  is  abundantly  evident  that  he 
had  not  given  into  the  Avian  or  Socinian  hypo- 
ihcfs,  for  he  exprefles  himfelf  ftrongly  againil 
bolh,  and  maintains  poiitions  inconfiitent  with 
c'th.r.  But  it  muu  at  the  fame  time  be  allowed 
that  be  evidently  appears  to  have  deviated  from 
\!\\Q  moft  commonly  received  opinions,  concern- 
ing the  Son  and  Spirit  of  God,  though  he  main- 
tained the  true  Divinity  of  both,  wliich  he  did 
upon  fach  grounds  as  he  thought  beft  fecured 
every  thing  efiential  to  the  dodlrine  and  moft  ef- 
fectually obviated  the  objections  of  its  oppo- 
nents. 

It  is  true,  fome  both  among  the  Orthodox  and 
the  Heterodox  conndered  him  as  having  in  thefe 
publications  given  up  the  point ;  the  former  be- 
caufe  he  diitered  from  them  in  his  manner  of 
explaining  it,  and  the  latter  becaufe  he  admitted 
the  force  of  fom.e  of  their  objections  to  it,  and 
freely  gave  up  what  lie  thought  untenable,  and 
F  3  perhaps 

^  TIt?  title  of  this  work  waj,  A  Sober  Appeal  to  a  Turk  or  cin  Indian^ 
concerning  the  plain  fent'c  of  fciiptiire  rel:^ting  to  the  Frii-iity.  Being  an 
Anfwer  to  Dr.  I.  W?.ttb's  late  book  cntit!t<l  The  ChrilViar,  l^cfliine  cf 
siie  Trinity,  &c.  alTejted  and  proved  by  plain  evidence  oi  Iciipturs  v.'i:!;- 
eut  the  aid  or  incutKbrsnce  cf  ijuroan  ichen^es, 


S6         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

perhaps  efpecially  becaufe  he  excrcifed  more 
candour  towards  them  than  the  defenders  of  the 
Trinitarian  dodlrine  had  ufually  done.  Bat  it  is 
exceedingly  ftrange  that  the  friends  of  orthodoxy 
fhoiiJd  difown  a  man  as  a  brother,  and  confider 
him  as  an  apoftate  and  an  enemy,  becaufe  he  re- 
prefents  things  in  a  manner  different  from  them- 
felves,  and  maintains  them  on  different  grounds. 
And  it  is  equally  ftrange,  at  leaft  equally  unwar- 
rantable, that  the  patrons  of  herefy  (as  it  has 
commonly  been  called)  fhould  infift  upon  it  that 
a  man  is  on  their  fide  merely  becaufe  he  does 
not  go  all  the  lengths  of  their  opponents,  or 
yields  to  the  force  of  fome  of  their  objedtions  : 
but  more  efpecially  that  they  fliould  draw  fuch  an 
inference  from  the  candour  he  exercifes  to  them  : 
but  moft  of  all  that  they  fnould  take  occafion 
from  the  moderation  of  any  one  who  profeffes 
himfelf  orthodox  in  the  main,  to  infmuatc  any 
thing  to  his  difadvantage  in  point  of  fmcerity. 
Thus  it  was  with  refpedt  to  Dr.  WattSy  and 
thus  it  has  been  with  refpecl  to  others  of  the 
like  moderate  principles.* 

It  is  furpriiing  that  they  who  lay  fo  much 
ftrefs  upon  candour,  and  are  fo  fevere  againft  big- 
otry, fliould  themfelves  adl  fo  uncandid  a  part. 
Nothing  is  mere  common  than  for  thofe  who 
call  themfelves  rational^  to  condemn  tlie  bigotry 
of  the  orthodox,  for  their  ftrenuous  adherence  to 
every  iota  in  the  orthodox  fyftem,  and  their  want 
of  charity  towards  thofe  who  differ,  which  they 
¥/ill  jfay  might  be  exercifcd  confiftently  with  the 

iirmeft 

*  Dr.  Doddridv^s  was  In  this  preHiciment.     See  the  nottce  he  f;;kes  sf 
\l  j:i  a  Letter  of  which  Mr.  0;tC!T  has  given  a  copy  in  his  I.Ifc, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  87 

firmed  attachment  to  orthodoxy  ;  and  yet  if  any 
of  the  orthodox  fiievv  themfelves  ready  to  make 
fome  abatements,  and  appear  to  exercife  candour 
towards  thofe  of  different  fentiments,  thefe  gen- 
tlemen will  have  it  that  they  mufl,  in  their 
hearts,  be  on  their  fide,  and  impeach  their  nn- 
cerity  in  not  joining  their  party  ;  Vv'hich  they  are 
v/iliing  to  attribute  to  a  fordid  attachment  to 
their  fecular  intercft,  or  to  any  thing  rather  than 
to  a  real  moderation  in  principle^  of  which  bigots 
on  both  ndes  feem  to  deny  the  exigence. 

Whether  there  be  \\\  renhty  fiich  a  moderation, 
by  which  hox}AOrthodoxy  and  Charity  may  be  main- 
tained,* and  what  that  is,  may  poiTibly  appear 
from  a  reprcfentation  of  Dr.  Watts's  fentiments 
as  contained  in  his  two  kift  publications  now 
mentioned;  which  through  the  intemperate 
zeal  of  oppofite  parties  feem  not  to  have  met 
with  the  attention  they  defcrved,  and  to  be  now 
but  little  known. 

The  Preface  to  the  firft  of  the  above  pieces 
we  fliall  here  tranfcribe  at  length.  It  is  as  fol- 
lows.  *^  It  cannot  be  of  much  importance  for 
the  reader  to  be  informed  who  was  the  writer  of 
thefe  papers  :  yet  if  it  will  be  any  fatisfadlion, 
the  author  himfelf  prefumes  to  fay,  It  is  one  Vvho 
has  fpent  many  years  of  his  life  in  diligent  en- 
quiries into  the  ficred  dodtrines  of  the  gofpel, 
by  a  conftant  and  laborious  fearch  of  the  holy 
fcriptures  ^  nor  is  he  afliamcd  to  add,  v/ith  con- 
tinual application  to  the  God  of  all  liglit  and 
grace  for  the  inflruv^Lion  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  that 
he  might  better  underftand  the  things  difccvered 
"  F4  in 

*  Sec  £  1":??  abl?  pe!fu:Tn?.nce,  entitled  ?rim\u-JS  Candour,  kc» 


88  Memoirs  of  Dr,  Watts, 

in  his  v/ord.  He  alfo  takes  the  freedom  to  fay 
thefe  papers  are  the  produ(5t  of  that  part  of  his 
]ife  when  Jsis  poivos  of  mind  and  body  were  in  full 
vigour. -f  The  author  has  fometimes  been  ready 
to  fuppofe,  that  ieveral  of  the  Queftions  here 
propofcd  may  be  very  ufeful  towards  the  further 
explaining  fome  of  thofe  parts  of  fcripture  which 
have  been  lefs  ftudied,  efpecially  concerning  God 
the  Father^  and  the  Divine  and  human  natures 
of  his  Son  fefiis  Chrify  whom  to  know,  totruit 
in,  and  to  love,  is  eternal  hfe  :  and  he  thinks 
he  can  fafely  appeal  to  God  concerning  the  hon- 
efty  and  fmcerity  of  his  own  endeavours,  to  give 
a  faithful  anfwer  to  all  thefe  enquiries,  according 
to  the  cleared  light  he  could  find  in  the  holy 
fcriptures. 

'^  He  has  one  favour  to  beg  of  his  readers,  and 
that  is,  that  they  Vv^ould  not  examine  any  of  thefe 
papers  by  the  mere  dictates  of  their  own  reafon- 
ing  powers,  for  the  fubjed  is  a  mere  m.atter  of 
divine  revelation  ^  nor  that  they  would  take  the  \ 
fentiments  or  fchemes  of  elder  or  later  wTitcrs,  ^ 
whether  Schoolm.en  or  Fathers,  or  Divines  of 
any  party,  for  a  perfedl  tefl:  of  truth  and  ortho- 
doxy in  thefe  facred  fubjedts. 

*'  Yet  hefi-eelyand  delightfully  confelTes  thefe 
following  articles  borrowed  from  the  Athafiafian 
Greedy  viz.  '^  We  believe  and  confefs  the  Lord 
•'  Jefus  Chriil:  the  Son  of  Gqd  is  both  God  and 
^*  Man  ;  God  of  the  fame  fubftance  with  the 
^'  Father,  a  Man  of  the  fubftance  of  his  mother. 


,  i:  This  is  3  fufficiont  rnpA'cr  to  thofe  vjIio  wotiM  exculpate  the  Dofior 
for  his  dt;7!ation  from  the  beaien  track  by  uraing  the  decay  of  his  facu!- 
iissv 


•      Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.         89 

*^  horn  into  ths  world,  perfect  God  and  pcrfedc 
^'  Man  ;  of  a  reafonabie  foul,  and  human  fiefh 
*'  fublifting  together  :  Equal  to  the  Father  as 
^^  touching  his  Godhead,  and  yet  inferior  to  the 
**  Father,  as  touching  his  manhood  :  One,  not 
*'  by  converfion  of  the  Godhead  into  the  flein, 
*^  but  by  taking  of  the  manhood  into  GoD,y3  as 
*^  to  become  one  per fonal  agent  or  one  perfon  :  and 
*'  as  the  reafonabie  foul  and  fiefii  is  one  man,  fo 
*^  God  and  man  are  one  Chrifl,  who  fuffered 
^^  for  our  falvation,"  &;c. 

*'  Though  I  freely  and  cheerfully  acknow- 
ledge all  this,  yet  I  take  no  human  writings  for 
a  teft  cf  the  divinity  or  truth  of  my  opinions  : 
And  I  could  wi(l:i  all  my  readers  would  lay  afide 
all  other  teachers,  behdes  the  mere  writers  of 
the  holy  fcriptures,  in  fuch  enquiries,  where  the 
light  of  thefe  divine  truths  will  alfo  fl:iine  bright- 
eft,  which  are  not  to  be  known  by  the  mere 
light  of  nature,  but  are  entirely  to  be  learned  by; 
the  revelation  of  God  to  his  Son  Jefjs  ChriU, 
and  to  his  holy  apoftles. 

*^  And  if  this  practice  be  fmcerely  purfued,  the 
author  humbly  hopes  thefe  papers  may  find  ac- 
ceptance among  the  diligent  and  honeft  enquir- 
ers after  truth,  fo  far  at  lea  ft  as  to  have  his  \v:i- 
w^illing  miftakes  pitied  and  forgiven,  and  his 
fmcere  endeavours  accepted,  to  make  known  the 
fcriptures  to  hisfdlovz-chriftians  in  thofe  import- 
ant articles  that  relate  to  God  the  Father  and  his 
6':;z  jcfusChriJ}  our  Lordy  v/hich  are  of  fom.ucli 
importance  toward  our  faivation. 

''  Yet  finally  to  avoid  all  objections  and  dan- 
gers of  miitdke,    I  think  it  may  be  proper  here 

to 


90         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts, 

to  take  notice,  that  there  have  been  generally  two. 
v/ays  amon^:  our  Prot'idarit  Divines  allov^ed  to 
explain  the  Filiation  or  SonHiip  of  our  Lord  Je- 
fus  Chrift,  in  his  Divine  nature ;  the  one  is,  the, 
real  and  fupernatura],  vv^hich  is  granted  to  be  ut- 
terly incomprehennble,  relating  chiefly  to  the 
-nature  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  ;  the  other  is 
fcriptural  and  ceconomica!,  relating  chiefly  to 
their  charaofers  or  qfjices  in  our  falvation,  which 
is  more  eaf/  to  be  underftood. 

*^  I  mull:  acknowledge  I  incline  inoft  to  the 
jecondy  becaufe  this  allows  the  moil  perfe6t  equa- 
lity, even  Onenefs  or  Samenefs  in  the  Godhead, 
whether  applied  to  the  Father  or  the  Sony  and 
thus  it  maintains  the  true  Godliead  itfelf  to  be 
underived  and  felf-exiflent  in  both  ^  and  upon 
this  fuppcfition  I  believe  the  fccond  of  thefe 
writers  have  been  alvv^ays  efteemed  perfedly  found 
and  orthodox  as  well  as  the  firil/' 
^  In  this  preface,  as  there  are  the  ftriking  evi- 
dences of  the  greatefl:  humihty  and  candour,^  as 
well  as  the  moft  ardent  love  of  truth,  fo  the 
intelligent  reader,  who  is  at  all  verfed  in  the  Tri- 
nitarian controverfy,  Vv^ill  eafily  perceive  that  Dr» 
Watts  difiered  from  the  iienerality  of  the  ortho- 
dox,  who  maintain  ''  that  Chrift  as  God  was 
'*  the  Son  of  the  Father,  derived  from  him  or 
^^  begotten  by  liim,  and  therefore  really  a  dif- 
''  tind  perfon,  or  agent  from  the  Father,  but  nev- 
*'  erthelefs  equal  to  him  in  all  Derfc*fl:ions  ;"  and 
that  his  idea  of  the  Divinity  of  Chrifl:  was,  **  that 
the  Godhead y  the  'Deity  itfcif,  perfonally  dijlinguijl:- 
ed  as  the  Fat  i-i  e  r  .  ^was  united  to  the  man  Chrifi 
JrfiiSy  ill  confefnence  of  lohicb  union  y  cr  indwelling 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  V/atts.         91 

of  the  Godhead,  he  became  properly  Gody"^  kvA 
it  is  evident  from  the  lequel  of  this  performance, 
and  from  a  fiibfequent  publication,  he  conceived 
this  union  to  have  fublifted  before  the  Saviour's 
appearance  in  the  flefli,  and  that  the  kiman  foul 
of  Chrtji  exifted  with  the  Father  from  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world  ;  on  which  ground  he 
maintains  the  real  defcent  of  Chrift  from  heaven 
to  earth,  and  the  whole  fcene  of  his  humihation, 
Vv^hich  he  thought  incompatible  with  the  com- 
mon opinion  concerning  him. 

As  to  the  Holy  Spirit  the  Dodor  feems  not  to 
have  held  the  common  notion  of  his  real  perfon- 
ality,  as  diitind  from  the  Father,  fuppofmg  it 
to  m.ean  the  divine  power  or  influence,  or  Gob 
himfelf  as  exerting  his  influence.  But  we  have 
now  particularly  to  do  with  the  perfon  of  Chrift , 
which  is  the  principal  fubjed  of  the  publications 
now  under  confideration. 

It  is  no  part  of  our  defign  to  condemn  or  con- 
firm the  Do<flor's  opinions  on  this  point,  but 
merely  to  reprefent  them,  and  ihew  wherein  they 
differed  from  the  generality  of  other  orthodox  di- 
vines, and  to  give  a  brief  view  of  the  ar2;uments 
by  which  he  fjpported  them. 

In  his  Important  ^eftions  corxerning  Jefus 
the  Son  of  God,  the  Firji  which  he  propoies  is 
this—''  What  is  the  true  meaning  of  the  Name 
**  Son  of  God,  given  to  Chriil:  in  the  New  Tefta- 
^'  mcnt  ;  and  cfpecially  where  the  belief  of  it  is 
**  made  necelTarv  to  falvation?" 

Ill 


*  ur.  DoddriJge  lecms  to  have  heM  the  fante  ftntlmert'^,  which  w-re 
lately  reviveu  in  a  cansrovetTv  occali  M.ed  by*3  pub!ic4Ucn  oi  ths  late  Mr. 
Benjamin  Fw.vcett,  iuuticJ  Cm*MJ  lU  '.,7L;is,  cic. 


gi         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

In  §  L  he  mentions  the  various  fenfes  giver^ 
to  this  term  by  different  writers,  and  obfeives, 
that  the  firil  of  them  is  patronized  by  rr.any,  viz, 
'*  that  it  includes  an  eternal  unconceivable  gene-. 
**  ration  of  the  perfon  of  the  Son  by  the  perfoa 
*'  of  the  Father,  in  the  famcnefs  of  the  Divine 
"  effence,  confubftantial,  coequal,  and  coeternal 
''  with  the  Father." 

*  But  I  am  perfuaded  (fays  he)  this  can  never 

*  be  the  fenfe  of  this   name  in  thofe  feveral  texts 

*  before  cited  [where   believing  in   the   Son  of 

*  God  is  faid  to  be  necefiary  to  falvation]  for 
'  (i)  If  this  be  never  fo  true,  yet  it  is  confeiled 

*  to  be  unconceivable  :  and  I  do  not  think  t;hq 
^  gracious  God  would  put  fuch  a  diiTicult  tefl; 
^  upon  the  faith  of  young  difciplcs,  poor  illiter- 
^  ate  men  and  women. —  (2)  Nor  is  this  clearly 
^  enough  revealed  for  us  to  make  it  a  fundamen- 

*  tal  article  in  any  age,  and  to  damn  all  who  dq 

*  net  receive  it. — (3)  There  have  been  fome  pi- 

*  ous  and  learned  men  in  feveral  ages,  who  have 

*  acknowledged  Chrifl's  true  Godhead,  and  yet 

*  have  fuppofed  that  the  Sonfliip  of  Chrift  re- 

*  ferred  rather  to  his  human  naturey  or  to  his  office 

*  of  Mtiljiahy  than  to  fuch  an  eternal  generation. 
'  There  are  fome  fuch  in  our  aee,  and  I  will 

*  never  pronounce  an  anathema  upon  thern.' 

After  having  mentioned  feveral  other  fenfes 
in  which  the  term  Son  of  God  h  ufcd  in  fcrip- 
ture,  he  fpeaks  of  this  lafb,  as  v/bat  he  believes 
to  be  its  moll  common  acceptation,  (p.  16) 
efpecially'  where  the  belief  of  it  is  made  neceffary 
to  falvation.  Having  in  §  2,  urged  feveral  ar- 
guments to  confirm  tliis  fenfe,  he  Hates  fome  ob- 

jedions 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  \¥atts.  93 

l^'flions  §  1,  and  produces  vr.rious  paflages  from 
Icriptare  in  which  *  Chrift  is  called  the  Son  0/ 
^  God,  and  God  is  faid  to  be  his  Father,  wherein 

*  we  cannot  luppole  the  Godhead  of  Chrift  is  or 

*  can  be  deiigned,  v.  g. 

*  John  V.  18,  19.      When  the  Jews  had  mads 

*  a  ftrange  inference,    and  charged   Chrift  with 

*  making  himfelf  equal  to  God,  becaufc  he  cail- 
^  cd  God  his  Father,  he  anfvvercd.  Verily  icrily 

*  I  Jay  unto  you,  the  Son  can  do  nothing  nf  hmifeif\ 

*  but  IV hat  he  feeth  the  Father  do,  &c.     This  is 

*  not  an  exDrefiion  w^hich  reprefents  the  Son  as 
^  the  true  and  eternal  God,    or  that  erants  their 

*  inference  ;  for  it  is   plain    that   this  expreffion 

*  reprefents  him  under  a  degree  of  impotence  and 

*  dependence  5  that  he  could  do  nothing  of  himfelf . 
^  Nay  this  coatradidls  their  inference,  and  denies 
'his  equality  with  God  rather  than  confirms  or 

*  allows  it.     The  fenfe  of  this  expreflion  may  be 

*  learned  from  fohn  viii.  38.     Though  there  are 

*  Ibme  cxpreilions  in  that  paragraph  to  (ver.  30.) 

*  which  feem  fuperior  to  the  charader  of  any 
^  mere  creature,   and  which  would  hardly   have 

*  been  applied  to  Chrift  the  man,    if  not  united 

*  to  Godhead,  yet  Chrift  confidered  as  the  Son  of 

*  God  is  throughout  reprefented  as  dependent 
'  on  the  Father  for  all,    and  receiving  all   from 

*  the  Father,  which  is  hardly  confiftent  with  the 

*  idea  of  fupreme  Godhead,  if  that  v/ere  included 
*■  in  Sonfliip. 

*  fohn  V.  30.  /  can  of  my f elf  do  nothing,  I 
\feek  not  mine  own  will,  (vi.  -^8.^  I  came  do-ivn 
^  from  heaven  ?iot  to  do  ?nine  oivn  will  hut  the  will 

*  of  hitv  that  fent  me.     This  dees  not  found  like 

'  the 


94  Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

*  the  Irtiigiiage  of  Godhead,  which  is  fupreme  and 

*  independent,  and  can  do  all  things  of  itfelf,  and 

*  by  its  own  will.     Ch.  xiv.  28.    My  Father  is 

*  greater  than  /.   ver.  3 1 .  ^j-  the  Father  gave 

*  me  commandment  evenfo  I  do.  Ch.  xvii.  5.  Fa-- 
tf  ^^^^  glorify  nie,  &cq.     Mark  xiii.  32.    Of  that 

*  day  and  hour  knoweth — not  the  Son,  hut   the 

*  Father^  &c.  &c.  All  this  implies  inferiority 
'  and  dependence,      i.    Cor.  xv.  38.    Then  f/:a!l 

*  the  Son  alfo  himfef  be  fuhje5i  to  him,   that  God 

*  may  be  all  in  alL     This  is  a  charadler  of  too 

*  much  inferiority  for  Godhead.     The  argument 

*  flands  thus  :   If  the  Son  of  God  be  true  God, 

*  confidered  as  a  Son,  then  he  is  originally  and 

*  necelTarily  Lord  of  all,  and  it  muft  be  faid  it  is 

*  by  his  own  voluntary  condefcenfion  that  he  is 
^  fo  far  depreiTed  and  humbled  by  the  oeconomy 

*  as  to  become  the  Father's  deputy  and  vicege- 

*  rent,  and  when  that  ceconomy  ceafes,  he  is  of 

*  courfe  exalted  to  his  equality  with  the  Father, 

*  and  to  his  eflential  and  natural  Lordfliip  over  all. 

*  But  the  reprefentation  of  St.  Paulh  juflthecon- 

*  trary.    In  many  parts  of  his  writings,  particularly 

*  Phil.  ii.  he  fhews  that  the  Son  of  God  is  not 

*  depreffcd  but  exalted  by  the  ceconomy  to  the 
^  kingdom.  And  he  tells  us  in  this  text  that 
^  when  the  Son  gives  up  this  ceconomical  king- 

*  dom,  he  comes  again  into  fubjedlion  :  then  (}:) all 
^'  the  Son  himfelf  be  fubjeB  to  the  Father  ;  which 

*  plainly  fhews  that,  confidered  as  a  Son,  he  is 

*  naturally  fubje6l  to  the  Father,  and  that  at  the 
'  end   of  this  ceconomical  exaltation  he  fhall  re- 

*  turn  to  his  natural   fubjedtion   and  ihall  be  fo 

*  for  ever,  when  God  appears  all  in  all. 

^  This 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  95 

*  This  text  will  not  prove  that  Chrift  is  not 
^  God,  for  he  is  fo  by  personal  union    to 

*  the  divine  nature  :  he  is  GoJ  manijejt  in  thefiejh. 
^  He  is  God  and  man  in  one  complex  perfon. 
'  But  this  text,  I  think,  does  prove  that  his  5^?;^- 

*  Chip  doth   not  include   Godhead,     In  this  ai^d 

*  many  other  texts  his  Sonfliip  maybe  better  re- 

*  ferred  to  his  inferior  nature,   or   to  his  office?. 

*  And  this  will   free  us    from  thofe  embarraiT-- 

*  ments  to  which  we  have  been  driven,   to  keep 

*  up  the  fublime  idea  of  Godhead  in  tbefe  fcrip- 
'  tures  which  call  him  a  Son,  and    at  the   fimc 

*  time  carry  fo  much  of  dependence  and  infer!- 

*  ority  in  them/ 

The  Doiior's  Third  queilion  (which  leads  to 
the  difcovery  of  his  opinion  concerning  the  pre- 
exiflence  of  the  human  foul  of  Chrifl)  is  this, 
*'  Could  the  Son  of  God  properly  enter  into  a 
**  Covenant  with  his  Father,  to  do  and  fuffer 
*^  what  was  neceffary  to  our  redem.ption,  with- 
^*  out  a  human  foul  ?'' 

*  It  is  granted  (fays  he)  that  the  generality  of 
^  our  chriftian  writers   believe  that  it  was  only 

*  the  divine  nature  or  Godheod  of  Chrift  which 
'  had  an  exiflence  before  he  v;as  conceived  of  "Caz 

*  Virgin  Mary^  and  became  incarnate  ;  yet  when- 

*  foever  they  v/ould  reprefent  the  exceeding  great 

*  love  of  the  Father  in  fendins:  his  Son  into  our 

*  world,  that  he  might  falFer  and  die  for  us,  and 

*  defcribe  the  tranfcendent    love  of  Chrifr,   in 

*  coming  into  the  world  and  fubmitting  to  death 

*  for  our  fakes,  they  ufaally   reprefent  it  in  fiich 

*  lan.^uare  as  can  never  a^ree  with   his   Di'vine 

*  naiurt\  in  any  propriety  of  fpeech,  but  only  to 

'the 


gb         MjiMoiRs  OF  Dr.  Watts* 

*  the  prc-exiilent  human    foul  of  Chrifr,    with 

*  its  defcent  into  fleui  and  blood,  and  the  fuffer- 

*  ings  of  this  human  foul  for  us.     And  it  is  evi- 

*  dent  that  the  fcripture  itfelf  leads  them  plain- 
^  ly  to  fuch  a  reprefentation  of  things — fo  that 

*  they  are  led  by  the  force  of  truth  into  fuch  ex- 

*  preffions  as  are   hardly   conliflent  with   their 

*  own  profeiled  opinions/  He  here  quotes  fome 
pafiageG  from  Mr.  Fkivel  and  others,  which 
fpeak  of  the  abafement  of  Chriil,  and  the  hu- 
miliating change  which  he  palled  through,  which 
are  totally  inapplicable  to  Godhead. 

*  Nov/  if  we  fuppofe  (fays  he)  the  human  foul 

*  of  Chrifl  to  have  a  pre-exiftent  ftate  of  joy  and 
"'  glory  with  the  Father  before  the  w^orld  was 

*  created,  thefe  expreiiions  are  great  and  noble, 
^arejufland  true,  and  have  a  happy  propriety 

*  in  them  to  fet  forth  the  tranfcendent  love  of 
^  the  Father  in  fending  his  Son,  and  of  the  Son 
^  of  God  in  coming  from  heaven  and  leaving  the 
^  joys  and  glories  of  his  Father's  immediate  pre- 
^  fence,  to  take  on  him  flefli  and  blood,  and  fuf- 
'  fer   iliaaie,  forrovr,   pain,   angui  fn  of  fie  ill  and 

*  fpirit,    (liarp  agonies  and  the  pangs  of  death. 

*  And  this  love  is  exceedingly    enhanced   w^iile 

*  vve  confider  that  this   human   foul   of  Chrift 

*  v/as  perfonally  united  to  the  divine  nature,  fo 
^  that  hereby  God  himfeif  becomes  manifeiled 
^  in  the  tlelh. 

^  But  on  the  other  hand,  if  we  fuppofe  noth- 

*  ing  but  the  pure  dhvie  nature  of  Clirifc  to  exift 
^  before  his  incarnation,  then  all  thefe  expreiiions 

*  fcem  to  have  very  little  juflice  or  propriety  in 

*  them  :  for  the  divine  nature  of  Chrifi:  (how 

^  diftina 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  97 

dij[l:in<fl  foever  it  is  fuppofed  to  be  from  God 
the  Father)  yet  can  never  leave  the  Father's 
bofom,  can  never  diveft  itfelf  of  any  one  joy  or 
felicity  that  it  was  ever  poffeffed  of ;  nor  could 
God  the  Father  ever  difmifs  the  divine  nature 
of  his  Son  from  his  bofom.  Godhead  muft 
have  eternal  and  complete  beatitude  and  glory, 
and  can  never  be  difpoffeiTed  of  it.  Godhead 
can  fuflain  no  real  forrow  or  fufferings. — Nei- 
ther could  the  hun:ian  nature  leave  the  bofom 
of  the  Father  if  it  had  no  prior  exiftence.— 
But  now  if  we  conceive  the  foul  of  Chrift,  in 
its  pre-exiftent  ftate,  as  the  firfl  borm  cf  evejy 
creature y  to  come  forth  from  the  Father  end 
come  into  the  world  (John  xvi.  28.)  to  part 
with  the  glories  and  joys  it  poiTeffcd,  to  dwell 
in  a  feeble  maniion  of  flefli,  of  pain  and  forrow, 
and  fuflain  the  pangs  of  a  curfed  death,  &c. 
this  is  amazing  love  indeed  ;  this  has  a  farpri- 
fing  and  fenfible  reality  in  it,  and  fliould  av/ak- 
en  all  the  powers  of  our  fouls  to  admire  and 
adore  both  God  the  Father  for  fending  him, 
and  his  Son  for  confenting  to  fjch  abafement. 
^  There  is  another  and  a  very  remarkable  in- 
ftance,  wherein  our  Proteitant  divines,  in  a 
very  juft  and  afreding  manner  reprefent  the 
Covenant  of  Redemption,  between  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  according  to  fcripture, 
upon  the  fuppofition  of  the  pre-exiftence  of 
Chrift's  human  foul  :  But  according  to  the 
com.mon  or  fcholaftic  explication  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Perfons  in  the  Trinity,  wx  can  have 
no  ideas  under  all  their  glorious  and  affe^ftion^ 
ate  reprefentations  of  this  tranfadlion. 

'  G  <The 


cjS         Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

*  The  common  or   fcholaftic   explication  of 

*  the  Trinity,  which  has  been  long  and  univer- 
^  lally    received  and  been   called  orthodox,   is, 

*  That  God  is  but  one  limple,  infinite  and  eter- 

*  nal  Spirit  :  Hence  it  follows,  that  the  divine 

*  effence,  powers,  and  effential  properties  of  the 

*  Father,  the  Son,    and  the  Spirit  in   the  God- 

*  head  are  numerically  the  very  fame.     That  it 

*  is    the   fame    numerical   confcioufnefs,  under- 

*  {landing,  v/ill  and  power,    which   belongs   to 

*  the  Father,   that  alfo  belongs  to  the  Son,   and 

*  to  the  Holy  Spirit  :  and  that  the  facred  three 
'  are  diilinguiflied  only  by  the  fuperadded  rela- 

*  tive  properties  of  paternity,   filiation  and  pre- 

*  cefiion  ;   but  their   thoughts,  ideas,  volitions 

*  and  agencies,  according  to  this  hypothefis,  mull 

*  be  the  very  lame  numerical  thoughts,  &c.    in 

*  all  the  three/ 

The  Dodtor  then  proceeds  to  give  an  extradt 
from  a  fermon  of  Mr.  F Lively  w^hich  he  highly 
approves,  relating  to  the  Covenant  of  Redemp- 
tion, in  which  he  reprefents  **  the  perfons  tranf- 
**  adin^  with  each  other  :  the  bufinefs  tranfa6l- 
*^  ed  ;  the  quality  of  the  tranfidtion  as  foederal; 
**  the  Father  promifing  to  fupport  and  rev/ard 
*'  the  Son^  the  Son  promifing  to  obey  the  Fa- 
*^  ther's  call  to  fuffer,  &c.  and  the  articles  to 
*'  which  they  agree,  &c.  Sec/'  He  further  ob- 
ferves,  that  the  author  reprefents  this  tranfadion 
in  a  way  of  Dialogue^  and  then   remarks  thus  : 

*  In  reading    fuch  accounts  of  ftipulations   and 
'^  contradl  between  the  Father  and  the  Son,  be- 

*  fore  the  foundation  of  the  world,  what  proper 

*  conceptions  can  we  frame,   or  what  clear  ideas 

*  can 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.  99 

*  can  we  poffibly  have,  while  v/e  fuppofe  nothing 

*  but  Chrift's   divine   nature  tranfading  this  at- 
'  fair  with  the  Father,  and  while  we  believe  the 

*  divine  effence,    perfedions,   and    powers,    the 

*  underftanding,   will,  thought,   and  confciouf-- 

*  nefs  of  the  Father  and  the  Son^  to  be  numeri- 
'  cally  one  and  the  fame  ?  fince  in  the  Godhead 

*  they  are  but  one  and  the  fame  infinite  fpirit  ?  The 

*  mere  perfonalities,  paternity  and  filiation,  can- 

*  not  confult  and  tranfadl  in  a  way  of  contrad:, 

*  propofal   and  confent  :   [which  can   only   be 

*  done  by]  two  diftind:  confcioufneffes  and  wills, 

*  Further,  one  of  thefc  beings  or  perfons  cov- 

*  enanting,  feems  to  be  inferior  to  the  other,  and 

*  to  be  capable  of  receiving  orders,  commiflion, 

*  fupport  and  recompenfe  from  the  other  :    But 

*  if  only  the  Deity  of  Chrift  exifted,  and  his  De- 

*  ity  and  the  Father's  have  but   one    numerical 

*  confcioufnefs  and  volition,  one  power  and  glo- 

*  ry,  what  need  of  orders  and  commiffions,  or  of 

*  promifes    of  fupport  and  recompenfe  ?    How 

*  can  pure  Godhead  be  fupportcd  or  recompen- 

*  fed  ? — What  poffible  difference   can  we  con- 

*  ceive  between  the  love  of  the  Father  in  fendin.^ 

*  the  Son,  and  the  love  of  the  Son  in  conlent- 

*  ing — And  hov/  doth  this  abate  our  grand  ideas 

*  of  the  diflind  and  condefcending  love  of  our 

*  bleffed  Saviour,  in  his  confent  to  this  covenant, 

*  fince   that  part  of  him  which  really  fuffered, 

*  i.  e.  his  inferior  nature,  had  then  no  exiftence? 

*  But  on  the  other  hand,   if  we  give  ourfelves 

*  leave  to  conceive  of  the  humtin  foul  of  Chrift 

*  in  its  pre-exiftent  ftatc,  as  the  -sr/jiJIcToxof,  thejirji 
^  form  of  every  creature  (Col.  i,  15.  Rev.  iii.  14.) 

G  2  *  and 


loo        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

*  and  intimately   united  to   the  eternal  God^  then 

*  here  are  proper  fubjeds  for  thefe  federal  tranf- 

*  actions,  and   a  moft   glorious  and  divine  cove- 

*  nant  it  was,    between   the  Father  and  the  Son, 

*  for  the  falvation  of  poor  ruined  man. — Thus 
^  Chrift,    when    he   came  forth  from  the  Father 

*  and  came   into    the  world ,  really  laid  afide  that 

*  glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father  before  the 

*  world  was,  and  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  our 
^  fakes  became  poor. — Every  thing  coincides  ad- 
'  mirably  well  in  this  fcheme,   and   anfwers  the 

*  various  expreflions  of  fcripture  on  this  fubied^, 

*  without  llraining  the  words  by  needlefs  tropes 

*  and  figures  :  It  becomes  fo  plain  that  he  that 
^  runs  may  read,  and  every  private  chrifcian  may 

*  underftand  thefe  early  grounds  and  foundations 
^  of  his  hope.' 

The  Fourth  ^lejlion  w^hich  the  Docflor  pro- 
pofcs  is  this  :  ''Is  the  Godhead  of  Chrift,  and 
"  the  Godhead  of  the  Father,  one  and  the 
*'  fame  ?"  ^* 

He  anfwers  in  the  affirmative,  and  proves  it 
by  the  following  arguments.     *  (i-)   If  the  di- 

*  vine  nature  of  Chrift  be  another  diftin(!^  prin- 

*  ciple  of  felf-confcioufncfs  and  volition,  another 

*  diftind:   ipiritual  being,    or  another  fpirit,   this 

*  approaches    \h    near   the   doctrine  of    another 

*  God,  that  it  is  very  hard  to  diftinguifh  it.    For 

*  fo  far  as  our  ideas  of  arithmetic  and  reafon  can 

*  reach,   this  fv::enis   to  be  a  plain  truth, — If  one 

*  infinite  fpirit  be  one  God,  two  or  three  infinite 
^  fpirits  muft  be  two  or  three  Gods,      (2.)    TJie 

'  God 

•  Or,  irs  otlTir  wor<U,   ts  (be  Deity  of  Chrift,  or  the   being  to  wham 
the  humanity  of  Chiift  x\  linucd,  GU  ihe  lather  ? 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        ioi 

*  God  of  Abraham,  Ifaae  and  Jacob,  the  God 
*^  of  Ifcel,  the  Almighty,  Jehovah,  is  the  pro- 

*  per  ilyle  and  title   by    which  God  the  Father 

*  was  known  under  the  Old  Teftam.ent,  and  un- 

*  der  thefe  he  often   appeared  to  the  Patriarchs  ; 

*  yet  it  is  agreed  by  all  Trinitarians,  that  it  was 
'  Jefus  Chriil:  that  appeared  to  them  andaffumed 

*  thefe  titles.      (3.)   Several  paffages  of  the  Old 

*  Teftament  cited  by  the  writers  of  the  Nev/ 
'  Teftament,  and  applied  to  Chrift,  do  evidently 
'  refer  to  the  great  one  God,  the  God  of   Ifrael, 

*  whom  all  before  the  days  of  Chrift  muft  fup- 

*  pofe  to  mean  God  the  Father  of  all — Thefe 
^  texts  are  properly  applied  to  Chrift,  if  we  fup- 

*  pofe  the   Godhead  of  the  Father  and  of  Chrift 

*  to  be  the  fame,  and  that  the  Man  Christ 
'Jesus  was  the  SHEKINAHor  HABITA- 
*  TioN  OF  the  great  GOD,  intimately  and 

*  perfonally  united  to  him.      In  this  fenie  Chrift 

*  was   Kmmamiel^    or   GOD    "with  us, — But  the 

*  application  of  thefe  texts  to  Chrift  will  fcarcely 

*  prove  the  Godhead  of  Chrift,  unlefs  it  be  the 
^  fame    with    that   of  the  Father.      (4.)   Vv^hea 

*  Chrift  expreftes  his  own   Godhead,  it  is  by  de- 

*  daring  his  cnenefs  vnth  the  FATHER.  /  and 
'  the  FATHER */zrc'  one,  lie  that  hath  feen  me 
'  hath  feen  the  FATHER.  /  am  in  the  FA- 
'  THER,  and  the  FATHER  in  me,  Tbe  FA-^ 
'  THER  IN  ME  doth  the  ^ork.     It  is  not  rea^ 

*  fonable  to  fa p pofe  he  would  have  always  ufed 
'  thete  modes  of  fpeaking,  if  he  himfelf  had  an- 
'  other  Godhead  [or  if  he  as  man  had  been  uni- 
'  ted  to  a  fecond  perfon  in  the  Godhead  and  not 
'  to  the  FATHE'R.  I     ^  r.\  On  this  ftippofitioii 

G  :       '  '         ^  I 


102        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

?  I  do  not  fee  how  the  Trinitarians  can  folve  the 

*  difficulties  which  arife    from  thofe  fcriptures 

*  where  God   the   Father  is  rcprefented  as  the 

*  o?7fy  true  Gody  and  under  that  idea  dillinguiflied 

*  from  Jefus  Chrift.    'John  xvii.  3.      i  Cor.  viii. 

*  6.    Eph.  iv.  5,  6.    IfaiahxYiv.  6,  8.    xlv.  21, 

*  22.     (6.)  When  our  Saviour  foretold  that  his 

*  difciples  fhould  leave  him  alone,  he  adds,  (John 

*  xvi.  32.)  And  yet  I  am  not  alone  ^  becaufe  THE 
'  FATHER   is  with  me.     If  his  Godhead  had 

*  been  diftindl  from  that  of  the  Father,  he  need- 

*  ed  not  the  prefence  of  the  Father  for  his  fup- 

*  port  ;  his  own  Godhead  would  have  been  luffi-» 
^  cient. 

*  On  the  whole,  whatever  unknown  diilinc-^ 

*  tions  there  may  be  in  the  divine  nature,  to  lay 

*  a  foundation  for   God's    difcovery  of  himfelf 

*  under  three  perfonal  characters,  as  the  Father, 
^  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghoft,  yet  the  God- 
«  head   of  the  Father  feems  to  be  the  fame  one 

*  infinite  and  eternal  Spirit,  which  under  fome 
<  peculiar  diftindion  or  relation,  is  united  to  the 

*  Man  Chrift  Jefus  ;    and  hereby  Jefus  becomes 

*  one  with  God,  &c.     By  this  means  the  great 

*  and   fundamental   article   of  all   religion,  the 

*  UNITY  of  the  true  God  is  maintained  invio- 

*  lable,  and  thus  we  moft  effeClually  preclude  all 

*  the  objedlions  and  cavils  of  the  Jlrian  and  aS*^- 

*  cinian  writers  againft  the  dodrine  of  the  blef- 

*  fed  Trinity,  and  the  Deity  of  Chrift,  as  though 

*  this    doctrine   introduced  more  Gods  than  one. 

*  For  if  we  fuppofe  the  Man  Jefus  Chrift,  in  his 

*  foul  and  body,  to  be  both  an  intelledual  and  cor- 
\  poreal  SHEKINAH,  or  habitation  of  the  one 

'  '  God, 


Memoirs  of   Dr.  V/atts.         103 

*  Gqd,  the  God    of  Ifrael,  we  may  juftly  call 

*  Jefus  Chrift  God  manifejl  in  the  fleili ;    a  man 
"^  in   whom  divells  all  the  fulnefs  of  the   Godhead 

*  bodily  ;  a  man  oj  the  feed  of  David,  and  yet  God 
'  over  all  hleffed  for  ever.     Nor  is  there  io  much 

*  as    the    fhadow    of  our   owning  two  or  three 

*  Gods,  which    has   been  too  often,    with  feme 
^  appearance  of  reafon,  charged  upon  fome  other 

*  modes  of  explaining  this  facrcd  doctrine/ 

From  thefe  extracts  from  Dr.  JFatt/s  own 
writings,  it  is  plain  to  every  intelligent  reader, 
what  his  fentiments  concerning  the  Deity  of 
Chrift  were.  It  is  evident  that  he  did  not  give 
into  Arianifniy  which  makes  Chrift  to  be  another 
and  inferior  God,  diflincfl  from  the  fapreme, 
nor  into  Socinianifm,  which  denies  the  pre-exift- 
cncc  oi  the  Son  of  God.  At  the  fame  time  it  is 
equally  evident,  that  he  had  departed  from  what 
are  generally  called  the  orthodox  fentiments ;  or 
rather,  perhaps  it  fhould  be  faid,  from  the  com- 
mon/^/^/j/^cT  of  explaining  them  ;  by  which  how- 
ever, he  himfelf  at  leaft  thought  he  maintained 
genuine  orthodoxy  to  the  beft  advantage. 

This  iirft  publication  clofes  with  An  Essay 
on  the  Importance  oJ  any  human  Schemes  to  ex- 
plain the  facred  DoEtrine  of  the  I'rinity,  fiiewing, 
-  I.  That  no  fuch  fcheme  of  explication  is  ne- 
^  ceffary  to  falvation.  IL  That  it  may  yet  be 
^  of  great  ufe  to  the  Chriitian  Church.     III.  But 

*  all  fuch  explications  ought  to  be  propofed  with 
'  modeftv   to   the  world,   and  never  impofed  on 

*  the  confcience.* 

At  the  end  of  this  efiay  are  the  follovv-ing  re- 
marks, which  are  lubmitted  to  the  reader's  im- 
partial reflections,  G4  ' -Theft 


I04       Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts 

■Thefe  accidental  inconveniences  [arifing 


?  from  religious  controvcrfies]  are  not  a  fufficient 

*  reafon  for  our  fupine  and  perpetual   content- 

*  ment  with  confufed  fentiments  and  unintelli- 

*  gible  fpeeches  about  the  modus  of  facred  truths, 

*  if  clearer  ideas  are  any  way  attainable.     There 

*  are  juft  and  ftrong  motives  that  may  excite  us 

*  to  fearch  into  the  deep  things  of  God,  and  to 

*  propofe  our  improvements  in  knowledge  to  the 

*  world  and  the  church,  though  there  are  no 

*  reafons  fufficient  to  impel  us  to  impofe  our  im- 

*  proved  notions  on  others,   or  to  raife  conten- 

*  tions  and  quarrels   on  the  account   of  them. 

*  All  our  illuflrations  or  clearer  conception  of 

*  this  fublime  dodlrine,  which  God   may  have 

*  favoured  us    with,    fhovild  be  propofed   with 

*  great  modeftv,  with  a  humble  knk  of  our  fallible 

*  natures, — and  with  a  zealous  care  to  maintain 

*  all  thoic  practical  regards  to  the  Holy  Trinity, 

*  which   arc  of   fo    much    greater  importance. 

*  And  if  it  be  unreafonable  to  diftate  to  our  fel- 
^  low  chriftians  on  thefe  myfterious  points,  how 

*  much  more  culpable  is  it  to  eftabliili  any  fpecial 
^  form  of  human  explication  of  this  facred   doc- 

*  trine,  as  a  I'efl  of  Orthodoxy  and  Chrijiianity  ! 
'  and  to  forbid  any  the  bleffings  of  fpecial  com- 

*  municn  in  the  gofpel,  unlefs  they  teftify  their 
^  aiTent  to  fuch  a  particular  hypothefis,  or  fchemc 

*  of  explication,  which  the  impofers   confefs  to 

*  be  human,  and  yet  impofe  it  in  their  own  pre- 
f  fcribed  form  of  words. 

*  The  perfons  who  are  guilty  of  this  uncha- 
f  ritable  pradice,  may  confecrate  their  impoii- 
f  tions  and  excommunications  with  holy  names, 

^  and 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  V/atts.        105 

*  and   call  them  pure  Zeal  for  the  Divinity  of 

*  Chriji  y  but  I  fufpea   it   will  be  found  in  the 
'  great  day    to  deferve  no  better  a  character  than 

*  a  miftaken  zeal  for  the  honor  of  Chrifl,  min- 

*  gled  perhaps  with  zeal  for  the  Divinity  of  their 

*  own  notions,  which  they  had  incorporated  with 
"■  the   plain  and  exprefs  revelations  of  the  God- 

*  headof  Jefus  Chrift  our  Lord.     He  that  makes 

*  a  private  and  particular  explication  of  any  doc- 

*  trine  which  is  dark  and  doubtful  in  itfelf,  and 
*■  not  clearly  revealed  in  fcripture,  as  neceffary  as 

*  the  dodlrine  itfelf,    which  is  plain  and  clearly 

*  revealed,  puts  the  matter  oi faith  and  opinion  on 

*  the  fame  foot,  and  intrudes  too  much  upon  the 

*  authority   and  kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jefus  iri 

*  his  church/ 


— •>Q^m>QX' 


I  T  was  intended  to  have  fubjoined  an  abftrad: 
of  Dr.  Watts  ^  fubfequent  work  on  the  fame  fub- 
jed:,  which  appears  to  have  been  the  laft  of  his 
publications,  though  the  different  parts  of  it 
were  drawn  up  at  different  times,  and  mofl  of 
it  many  years  before  it  cam.e  abroad.  But  as  it 
was  feared  this  would  fwell  the  pre  fen  t  publica- 
tion to  an  inconvenient  fize,  this  deiign  is  laid 
afide,  and  it  fhall  faffice  to  give  a  brief  account 
of  the  contents,  v/ith  a  few  extracls. 

It  is  entitled,  The  Glory  of  Chrifi  as  GOD- 
MAN  difplayed  in  Three  Dijcourjes.  The  P/y- 
face  contains  a  very  modeft  account  of  the  au- 
thor's delign,  and  befpeaks  the  candour  and  im- 
partiality of  the  reader.  The  Contents  are  as 
follows. 

'  Disc. 


io6        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

*  Disc.  I.  A  Survey  of  the  vifible  Appearand 

*  ces  of  Chrift  as  God  before  his  Incarnation. 

*  Disc.  II.  An    Enquiry   into  the  extenlive 

*  Powers  of  the  human  Nature  of  Chrift  in  its 

*  prefent   gloriified  ftate.     §.  i.  The  Introduc- 

*  tion.     §.2.  Scriptural   Proofs  oftheExalta- 

*  tion  of  the  human  Nature  of  Chrift,    and  the 

*  extenfive  Capacities   and  Powers  of  his  Soul  in 

*  his  glorified  State.     §.3.   A  Rational  Account 

*  how    the   Man  Jefus  Chrift,    united  to  God, 

*  may   be   vefted   with   fuch   extenfive  Powers. 

*  §.  4.  Teftimonies  from  other  Writers. 

*  Disc.  III.  An  argument  tracing  the   early 

*  exiftence  of  the  human  Soul  of  Chrift  before 

*  the  foundation  of  the  world,     §.  i .  Introduc- 

*  tion.     §.2.  Some  Propofitions  leading  to  the 

*  Proof  of  the  Do(5lrine  propofed.     §.3.  Argu- 

*  ments  for  the  pre-exifl:ence  of  Chrift's  human 

*  Soul    drawn   from  various    Confiderations   of 
'  fome  Things  inferior  to  Godhead,   which  are 

*  afcribed  to  him  in  Scripture,   before  and  at  his 

*  Incarnation.     §.  4.  Mifcellaneous  Arguments 

*  to  prove   the  fame   Dodlrine.     §.  5.  A  Con- 
'  firmation  of  it  by  Arguments  drawn  from  the 

*  happy  Confequences   thereof,    and  the  various 

*  Advantages    of  it  to  the  Chriftian    Religion. 

*  §.  6.  Objedlions  anfwered. — The  modern  Au- 

*  thors  who  have  profefled  and  defended  it,  viz. 

*  Dr.  H.  More,   Dr.  Edwaj-d  Fo-jolery    Bp.   of 

*  Gloucejier,     A  Defence  of  his  Difcourfe  by  a 

*  Preft)yter  of  the   Church  of  England.     Mr. 

*  Robert  Flemming,     Anonymous.     Mr.  Jofepb 

*  Hujfey,     Dr.  Francis  GaJlrelU  Bifliop  oi  Chef» 

*  ier.     Mr.  NelJon%  learned  Friend  againft  Dr. 

*  Clarke. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        107 

*  Clarke.     Dr.  Thomas  Bennet.     Dr.  "Tho.  Bur^ 
'  net  of  Wefikington.     Dr.    Knight.     Dr.   Tho- 

*  mas  Goodwin, 

*  Appendix.     An  Abridgment  of  a   Difc.    of 

*  Dr.  T".  Goodwin^  on  the  Glories  and  Royalties 

*  that  belong  to  Jefus  Chrift,  confideredas  God- 
^  man.' 

As  the  pre-exiftence  of  Chrift's  fpirir  was  the 
grand  point  which  the  Dodtor  laboured  to  eftab- 
iifh,  in  order  to  avoid  the  difficujties  of  the  com- 
mon fcheme,  which  either  makes  Deity  to 
fuffer^  or  makes  the  fuffering  Saviour  a  mere  man, 
and  thus  coincides  with  Socinianifm,  we  fliall 
here  prefent  the  reader  with  a  view  of  the  Doc- 
tor's manner  of  arguing  to  prove  this  point. 

Disc.  III.  §.3.  He  firft  argues  ym;?  vari- 
ous conjiderations  of  fomething  inferior  to  Godhead 
afcribed  to  Jefus  Chriji  before  and  at  his  IncarJia-^ 
tion.   c.   g.      I.  *    Chrift   is  reprefented  as  his 

*  Father's  meffenger,  minifter  or  angel,  that  was 

*  a  diftindl  being  from  his  Father,   fent  by  him 

*  to  perform  fuch  adtions  and  fervices   for  his 

*  people,  long  before  his  Incarnation,    fome  of 

*  which  feem  too  lov/  for  the  dignity  of  pure 

*  Godhead.' 

II.  *  Chriftwhen  he  came  into  this  world,  is 

*  faid  to  empty  and  diveft  himfelf  of  fome  glory 

*  which  he  had  before  his  Incarnation.     Now  if 

*  nothing  but  his  divine   nature  exifted   before 

*  this  time,  this  could  not  properly  empty  or  di- 
^  veft  itfelf  of  any  glory  ;   therefore  it  muft  be 

*  his   inferior  nature,  or  his  human  foul  w]\ich 

*  did  then  exift.'     Under  this  head  the  Doctor 
confiders   that  much  difputed  pafiage,  Phil.  ii. 

5     7- 


io8        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

5 — 7.  which  he  interprets  thus.  *  Here  the 
'  apoftle's  defign  is  to  fet  Chrifc  forth  as  a  pat- 

*  tern  of  humility  ;  and  this  he  doth  by  aggrandi- 

*  zing  his  former  circumflances,and  reprefenting 

*  how  he  emptied  himfelf  of  them,  and  appeared 

*  on  earth  in  a  very  mean  and  low  eftate.     W/jo 

*  tfemg  m  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  no  robbery 

*  to  be  equal  with  God,  i.  e.  his  human  foul,  be- 

*  ing  in  union  with  his  Godhead,  was  inveflcd 

*  with  a  God-like  form  and  glory  in  all  former 

*  ages  ;    thus  he  oftentimes  appeared  to  the  Pa- 

*  triarchs  as  the  Angel  of  the  Lord,  and  as  God, 

*  or  Jehovah,  clothed  with  the  divine  Shekinah, 

*  and  fpake  and  a6ied  Hke  God  himfelf.  This 
'  feems  to  be  they^r;;/  of  God  which  the  apoftle 

*  fpeaks  of.  Nor  did  he  think  it  any  robbery  or 
^  prefumption  fo  to  do,  /.  e.   to  appear  and  a<5t 

*  AS  God,  fince  he  was  united  to  the  divine  na- 

*  tare,  and  was  in  that  fenfe  one  with  God.  Yet 
'  he  emptied  himfelf  i.  e.  he  diverted  himfelf  of 
^  this  God-like  form  or  appearance,  this  divine 
'  Shekinab,  and  coming  into  the  fleili  he  confent- 

*  ed  to  be'^iiade  in  the  likenef  <?/^other  7nen  ;  nay, 

*  he  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  fervant,   in- 

*  ftead  of  the  form  of  God,' 

III.  '  That   very   being   which    came    down 
'from  heaven,  and  was  fent  of  God    into  the 

*  world,   is    reprefented    as  capable  of  having  a 

*  will  different  from  the  will  of  God  the  Father, 

*  and  therefore  it  mufl  be  inferior  to  Godhead  : 

*  now  this  could  be  no  other  but  the  v/ill  of  his 
^  human  foul. 

IV.  *  Chrift  reprefents  his  own  coming  into 
^  the  world,  and  being  fcnt  e-ither  by  the  Father, 

'  in 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        109 

*  in  fuch  a  manner  as  naturally  leads  one  to  fup- 
''  pole  he  had  a  real  and  proper  dwelling  in  an- 
'  other  place,  and  in  another  manner,  before  he 

*  came  into  the  world,  and  that  he  then  changed 

*  his  place  and  company,  :and  manner  of  life;  all 
^  which  fcems  more  agreeable  to  a  human  {piYii 
'  than  to  a  divine  perfon/ 

The  Dodlor  then,  §  4.  mentions  various  mif- 
cellaneous  argU7nents  to  prove  the  fame  doofrine^  e.  g. 

I.  *  It  feem.s  needful  that  the  foul  of  Chriil 
^  fliould  be  pre-cxiftent,  that  it  might  have  op- 
^  portunity  to  give  its  previous  adlual  confent  to 

*  the  great  and  painful  undertaking  of  atonement 

*  for  our  fins.     And  indeed  this  voluntary  con- 

*  fent  of  his  to  become  incarnate  and  t;o  fufier  is 

*  plainly  reprefented  in  feveral  places  of  fcrip- 

*  ture/     Pf.  xL  6,  7.     HeL  x.  5,  &c. 

II.  *  The  Covenant  between  God  the  Father 

*  and  his  Son   Jcfus   Chrift,  for  the  redemption 

*  of  mankind,  is  reprefented  in  fcripture  as  being 

*  m.ade  from   or  before   the    foundation  of  the 

*  wor-Id.  [Mult  v/e  not  then  fuppofe]  that  both 
^  parties  lliould  be  prcfent,  and  that  this  Tnould 

*  not  be  tranfaded  merely  within  the  divine  ef- 

*  fence  by  fach   perfonalities  as  have  no  diftindl 

*  rTiind  and  will  ?  The  eilenceof  God  is  general- 
^  ly  agreed  to  be  but  one  confcious  mind  or  fpi- 

*  rit.      Now   C2.n  ox\q  iinde  underfianding;   and 

*  will  make  fuch  a  covenant  r' 

III.  *  Chrift's  coming  into  the   w^orld   is  al- 

*  ways    expreffed    in   fome    corporeal   language^ 

*  fuch  as  denotes  his  taking  on  him  animal  na- 

*  ture,  or  body,  or  flefli,  without  the  leail  meu- 

*  ticn  of  raking  a  foul/ 

IV.  '  It 


up        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

IV.  *  It  is  certain,  that  among  the  learned  of 

*  the  Jewifh  nation,  there  was  a  tradition  of  the 

*  pre-exiftence  of  the  foul  of  the  Meffiah/ 

V.  *  Since  it  pleafed  the  Father  to  prepare  a 

*  body  for  our  Lord  Jefus,  by  the  overfliadowing 

*  of  the  Holy  Ghoft,  and  by  a  pccuUar  manner 

*  of  conception,  that  he  might  be  the  Son  of 

*  God  in  a  fuperior  fenfe,  with  regard  to  hisjiefiy 

*  fo  it  is  not  unreafonable  to    fuppofe  that  the 
*/ouI  of  Chrift  alfo,   which  was  to  be  united  to 

*  Godhead,  ihould  have  this  peculiar  prerogative, 

*  to  be  derived  immediately   from  God,  before 

*  any  creature  was  made/ 

§  5.  Contains  ^  confirmation  of  this  doBrine 
by  arguments  drawn  from  the  various  advantages 
of  it.  After  a  full  illuflration  of  thefe,  he  fums 
them  up  thus  :   *  There  are  many  dark  and  dif- 

*  ficult  texts   of  fcripture   which  have  puzzled 

*  interpreters  in  feveral  ages,  and  which  have 

*  hung  heavy  upon  the  various  fchemes  that  fup- 

*  port  the  dodrine  of  the  Deity  of  Chrift.  Now 

*  fuppofe  there  could  be  one  fmgle   clue  found 

*  out,  which  leads  us  into  fuch  a  folution  of  all 

*  thefe  difficulties,  and  fuch  an  interpretation  of 

*  thefe  fcriptures,  which  has  the  following  ad- 

*  vantages  attending  it,  viz. — Which  gives  the 

*  moft  natural  and   obvious  and  literal  fenfe,  fo 

*  that  every  common  reader  that  had  no  pre- 

*  conceived    notions    or   fchemes    of  thought, 

*  would  readily   run  into  at  the  very  hearing  of 

*  it  : — Which  puts  learned   men  to  no  trouble 

*  of  figures  and  metaphors,  fuch  as  Prokpfes,  i.  e. 

*  fpeaking  of  things  before  they  are  done  ;    or 
'  Catachrefes,  i,  e.  calling  the  eternal  God,  with- 

*  out 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        hi 

'^  out  actual  union  to  human  nature,  a  man,    or 

*  an  angel,  &c. — Which  is  moll:  confident  with 

*  and  moft  agreeable  to  all  other  parts  of  the  word 

<  of  God,  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Teftament, 

<  renders  the  expofition  of  many  other  texts  eafi- 

*  er  and  plainer  than   before,  and  fcts  the  feveral 

*  parts  of  fcripture  in  a  beautiful  harmony  : — 

*  Which  interferes  with  no  particular  fcheme  of 

*  divinity,  and  thus  does  not  widen  the  common 

*  differences  of  the  feveral  parties  of  Chriftians, 

*  but  freely  allows  each  of  them  their  own  fenti- 

*  ments  : — And  yet  which  affifts  us  to  anfwer 

*  the  objedions  of  our  opponents  againfl  the  di- 

*  vinity  of  our  blelTed  Saviour,  and  alfo  allures 

*  them  to  embrace  the  truth  : — Which  aggran- 

*  dizes   the  perfonal   glories   of  our  Lord  Jefus 
^  Chrift,  and  raifes  his  condefcenfion  and  love  to 

*  moft  amazing  degrees  : — Which  fpreads  a  new 

*  iuftre  over  the  whole  gofpel  of  Chrift,  and  the 
'  various   tranfadions    recorded  in   the  word  of 

*  God  ; — I  would  humbly  afk  whether  [fuch  a 

*  fcheme]  does  not  bid  fair  for  the  truth  of  the 

*  Gofpel,  and  the  very   meaning  of  the   facred 
^  writers  ?  Such  is  the  dodlrine  of  the  pre-exifl- 

*  ence  of  the  human  foul  of  Chrift.' 

From  the  foregoing  extrads  it  is  fuiiiciently 
evident  what  Dr.  Watts's  fentiments  were  with- 
in a  year  or  two  of  his  death.  The  reader,  how- 
ever, is  not  to  fuppofe,  that  thefe  publications 
were  the  efFed  of  any  fudden  or  recent  change  in 
his  views  of  thefe  dodrines  ;  for  it  is  well  known, 
that  he  had  many  years  before  publicly  avovv^d 
fome  peculiarity  in  his  manner  of  conceiving  and 
of  expreffing  himfelf  w^ith  rcfped  to  them,  fo  as 

to 


112       Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

to  expofe  himfelf  to  the  cenfures  of  the  more  ri-- 
gid  Trinitarians  as  favouring  hereiy.  In  his 
Ckriftian  DoBrine  of  the  T^rinity^  printed  io  early 
as  the  year  1722,  he  difcovered  his  inclination 
to  the  IndweUing  Scheme y  on  account  of  v/hich 
Mr.  T*.  Bradbury y  in  a  letter  1725,  charged  him 
with  making  *'  the  Divinity  of  Chrift  to  evapo- 
*'  rate  into  a  mere  attribute/'  and  after  jeering  at 
his  profefled  love  of  truth,  writes  to  him  thus  : 
*'  It  is  pity  after  you  have  been  more  than  thirty 
**  years  a  teacher  of  others,  you  are  yet  to  learn 
**  the  firfl  principles  of  the  oracles  of  God. 
**  Was  Dr.  Owen\  church  to  be  taught  another 
**  Jefus  ?  that  the  Son  and  Spirit  were  only  two 
^  powers  in  the  divine  nature  r" 

The  Do6lor  replied  with  equal  gentlenefs  and 
firmnefs,  telling  Mr.  Bradbury,  among  other 
things,  *'  That  though  the  Dodrine  of  the  Tri- 
**  nity  be  a  firft  principle,  he  never  knew  that 
*^  the  particular  mode  of  explaining  it  was  fuch 
^^  a  principle  alfo."  With  refped  to  the  charge 
of  deftroying  a  trinity  oi per/on s^  the  Dodlor  an- 
fwers  tluis.  '^  I  have  often  freely  declared,  and 
*'  flill  declare,  that  I  allow  the  greateft  diflinc- 
*^  tion  polTible  between  the  iacred  three  in  the 
**  divine  nature,  which  does  not  arife  to  three  dif- 
*^  tind:  con  fcious  minds  or  fpirits.  Make  it  as  great 
**  as  you  will  fhort  of  this,  and  I  acquiefce.  But 
**  then  fince  three  diftin 61  confcious  minds  is  the 
*'  true  idea  of  three  proper  literal  perfons,  what- 
^^  ever  falls  fliort  of  this  can  be  but  an  analogic- 
*^  al  perfonality  ;  yet  if  any  man  will  call  this 
*'  a  proper  divine  perfonality,  though  it  is  but 
^'  fitnilar  to  human  perfonality,  I  will  not  con-- 
*^  tend  about  words  and  names."  The 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watt!^,        113 

The  Dodtor,  unmoved  by  the  injurious  re- 
fieclions  and  fierce  opporulon  of  fuch  of  his  bre- 
thren who  were  Haves  to  human  fyftems^  refo- 
lately  purfued  his  enquiries,  and  the  refult  was* 
that  he  faw  further  reafon  to  be  diffatisfied  with- 
the  common  modes  of  explaining  the  Trinity, 
and  he  honeilly  declared  his  different  apprchen- 
f]ons  refpedting  it.  In  the  year  1721^  he  pub- 
hfhed  his  Sermons  cji  various  SulyeSfs^  in  which 
there  is  one  entitled,  I' he  Scale  of  Bkffed?2efs  •  cr 
blejfed  Saints y  bleffed  Saviour;  and  bkjfed  ^Trinity, 
On  the  review  of  this  difcourfe  in  the  year  1729* 
he  faw  occafion  to  infert  the  following  Note^- 
(Edition  6th,  vol,  i.  p,  260.) 

**  This  Difcourfe  v/as  delivered  above  twenty 
^^  years  ago  ;  and  the  reader  will  obferve  fomc 
''  v/armer  efforts  of  imagination  than  riper  years 
**  would  indulge  on  a  theme  fo  fublime  and  ab- 
*'  ilrufe.  Since  I  have  fearched  mere  ftudioudv 
'*  into  this  myfcery  of  late,  I  have  learned  more 
"  of  mv  own  i.;?:norance  :  fo  that  Vv'hen  I  foeak 
^' of  th^k  u^7pjarc/jaMes;  I  abate  much  cf  my 
*'  younger  afTurance ;  nor  do  my  later  thoughts 
**  venture  fo  far  into  the  particular  7?^cd^s  of  ex:- 
*'  plaining  this  facred  diftindtion  in  the  Godhead. 
*^  There  appears  to  me  good  reafon  to  doubt, 
*^  whether  there  can  be  three  diftind  and  differ- 
"  ent  principles  of  confcioufnefs,  and  three  dif- 
''  tindt  and  different  v/ills  in  the  One  Goo,  the 
*^  one  infinite  Spirit.  I  was  afraid  to  alTert  it 
*'  in  this  fermon  heretofore,  and  I  am  more 
''  afraid  to  affert  it  now.  Reafon  and  fcripture 
*' join  to  teach  me,  that  there  can  be  but  one 
*'  God,  and  this  God  is  a  Spirit.  What  dif- 
H  *^  tindiions 


JI4       Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

'*  tinftions  there  may  be  ia  this  one  Spirit, 
*^  I  know  not.  Yet  fince  I  am  fully  ellab- 
''  lifhed  in  the  belief  of  the  Deity  of  the  blejfed 
**  Three y  (though  I  know  not  the  manner  cj' ex- 
"  plication)  I  dare  let  this  difcourfe  appear  now 
*'  in  the  world,  as  being  agreeable  fo  far  to  my 
*'  prefent  fentiments  on  this  fubje6l.  A  larger 
"  and  more  particular  account  of  my  moft  ma- 
^'  ture  thoughts  on  the  dodlrine  of  the  Holy 
*^  Trinity,  may  be  feen  in  the  laft  fermoh  of  my 
*^  third  volume.'' 

From  the  above  note  it  is  plain,  that  Dr. 
Watts  had  in  fome  refpeds  altered  his  views  of 
the  fubjeft.  But  fome  have  taken  occafion  from 
thence  to  propagate  an  idea,  that  he  had  entirely 
given  up  the  orthodox  faith  ;  whereas  nothing 
more  can  be  juftly  inferred  from  it,  than  that  he 
had  fomewhat  altered  his  judgment  with  re- 
fpeft  to  the  manner  of  expreliing  and  m.aintain- 
ing  it.  Nor  does  it  appear  that  he  materially 
changed  his  fentiments  afterwards.  The  more 
he  enquired  into  the  matter,  the  more  he  was 
confirmed  in  his  opinion  with  refpedl  to  the 
moft  perfeft  fimplicity  of  the  divine  nature,  or 
onenefs  of  the  Godhead,  and  the  pre-exiflence  of 
the  derived  nature  of  Chrift,  and  at  different 
times  he  wrote  various  ElTays  on  thefe  fubjeds, 
which  he  at  length,  in  the  two  laft  years  of  his 
life,  revifed  and  put  together  in  the  two  publi- 
cations of  which  we  have  given  an  account. 
From  thefe,  as  it  is  plain  he  v/as  not  an  Athana- 
fian,  it  is  equally  fo  that  he  was  not  either  an 
Arian  or  a  Socinian.  It  is  poffible  however, 
though  not  probable,  that  he  might  change  his 

fentiments 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        lie 

fentimcnts  after  the  publication  of  the  above 
pieces.  That  this  was  actually  the  cafe  has  late- 
ly been  confidently  afferted  by  a  writer  in  the 
Monthly  Review y  who  mentions  fonie  refpedable 
perfons  as  having  been  well  acquainted  with  the 
fad:.  We  ihall  therefore  produce  the  whole  paf- 
fage,  and  fubjoin  fome  remarks  upon  it. 

This  writer,  in  the  review  of  Mr.  Williams  ^ 
Colle^ion  of  Pfalms,  having  quoted  a  paffage  in 
the  preface  to  that  w^ork,  before  referred  to,  re-- 
fpeding  Dr.  Watts,  goes  on  to  relate  the  follow- 
ing anecdotes.  "^^ 

*^  That  the  Dodlor  had  altered  his  opinion 
**  with  refped:  to  fome  points  of  what  is  called 
'*  Orthodoxy  is  undeniable.  This  is  a  fubjedl: 
*^  t\\2itfome  of  his  encomiafts  fhrink  from  with 
*'  concealed  mortification,  and  v/ould  if  pofiible 
*^  coniign  to  oblivion,  as  it  cannot  be  remember- 
**  ed  without  bringing  fom.e  refiedion  either  on 
*'  the  Dcdor  himfelf,  or  their  own  darling  caufe. 
*'  But  it  would  be  in  vain  to  deny  a  fad  known 
*^  to  ma7iy^\\Q  were  interefted  in  making  it  pub- 
**  lie.  It  was  well  known  to  Dr.  Lardner,  and 
**  by  bim  communicated  to  the  late  excellent 
"  Mr.  Merrivaly  oi  Exeter^  from  wh  ofe  mouth 
**  the  writer  of  the  prefent  article  immediately 
**  received,  it.  Dr.  Watts's  papers  (many  of 
**  which  contained  the  moft  explicit  renuncia- 
*'  tion  of  fome  of  his  former  fentim.ents  with 
**  refped  to  the  dodrine  of  the  Trinity)  were 
"  mutilated,  and  publ>.hed  in  a  very  imperfed: 
**  manner.  Som.e  were  wholly  fupprejfed^  and  it 
"  was  with  difficulty  that  Dr.  Doddridge  could 
H  2  *'  refcue 

*  Month. Rev,  Feb.  lySa.  Voh  LXVI.  p,  xjo. 


2i5        Memoirs  of  Dn.  Watts, 

**  refcue  from  deftrudion  a  certain  curious  ps* 
"  per  refped;ing  the  Trinitarian  coatroverfy,  pub- 
**  lilTied  among  the  pofthumous  works,  entitled 
*^  A  Solemn  Addrefs  to  the  Deity ^  &:c.  The 
*^  condudl  of  fome  of  Dr.  Watts's  friends  in  this 
'^  cafe  was  fo  difingenuous,  that  it  called  forth 
*^  very  loud  complaints  from  thofe  who  were 
*'  acquainted  with  the  fecret  :  and  it  was  but  a 
*^  fhort  time  before  Dr.  Doddridge  embarked  for 
*^  Lifbon  that  he  complained  to  Mr.  Merrival 
*^  of  unfair  condud:  both  with  refpecfl  to  Dr. 
*^  Watts  and  himfelf,  to  whofe  charge,  in  con- 
*'  junction  with  the  late  Dr.  David  Jennings, 
*^  his  papers  were  entrufeed  ior  publication." 

There  is  no  reafon  to  quefdon  the  veracity  of 
the  writer  of  the  above  article,  nor  of  the  autho- 
rities therein  mentioned,  but  it  is  eafy  to  fuppofe 
that  reports  made  at  fo  great  a  diftance  of  time, 
and  which  had  pafied  through  feveral  hands, 
might  undergo  fome  material  alterations.  That 
Dr.  Watts  feft  fome  MSS.  behind  him  to  be 
pubiifhed  by  Dr.  Doddridge  and  Dr.  Je?i?ii-ngs 
is  not  denied.  Some  of  thefe  accordingly  they 
published,  viz.  Ttlje fecond part  of  the  Improve- 
?nent  of  the  Mind,  A  Itrcatifeon  'Education ^  and 
'Remnants  of  Time  employed  in  profe  and  verfe. 
Thefe  had  no  relation  to  any  points  of  ortho- 
doxy, and  therefore  nothing  in  thefe  can  be  fup- 
pofed  to  be   **  mutilated."*     But  thefe  were  the 

whole 


*  Probably  fome  articles  among  the  pieces  etnitled  Remnants  of  Time 
.':mployedi  might  be  ru5>i>rcfrcd.  But  if  it  was  lb,  tlte  executors  wer»  {uf- 
ficiently  warranted  lijrein,  whatever  might  be  the  Cubjedls  of  them,  by  the 
following  advcrtifement   which  was   prefixed  to  theu!  by  the  author  him- 

"  Thefe 


Memoirs'  or    Dr,  Watts.         iiy 

T^hole  of  what  thefc  gentlemen  printed,  except- 
ing ''  the  Solemn  Addrefs  to  the  Deity/'  which 
it  is  not  denied  was  printed  entire.  Some  of  his 
papers  were  indeed  *'  fuppreffcd/'  which  related 
to  the  dodtrine  of  the  Trinity,  but  the  charge  of 
*'  difmgenuity"  in  this  matter  is  groundlefs,  be- 
caufe  the  Dodor  had  by  no  means  enjoined  his 
executors  to  publifli  them,  but  left  it  to  their 
own  difcretion. 

The  publifhers  of  his  works  made  no  fecret  of 
their  having  fuppreffcd  thefe  papers,  but  fay  in 
the  Title  to  his  y^ddrefs  to  the  Deity,  which  was 
prefixed  to  them,  *'  that  it  was  not  judged  ne- 
*•'  ceffary  to  publifli  them/'  There  is  no  proof 
that  they  contained  a  *'  renunciation  of  his  for- 
*'  mer  fentiments  :"  a  gentlem.an  of  veracity  who 
had  feen  them  affiired  the  writer  of  this,  that 
they  appeared  to  him  to  contain  nothing  new^ 
being  only  a  further  illuftration  of  his  fenti- 
ments concerning  the  Trinity  Vs^hich  he  had  be- 
fore publiflied  to  the  world,  and  therefore  it 
might  well  be  thought  by  his  executors  *'  un- 
^'  neceilary  to  publiih"  any  thing  more  upon  the 
fubjcdt  That  this  was  the  real  matter  of  fa6t 
appears  to  be  highly  credible,  and  indeed  unde- 
Xiiablc,  from  the  piece  already  referred  to,  which 
II  3  it 

*'  Thefc  papers  were  written  3t  Tccei-jl  fcsfons  and  intervals  of  lelfure, 
"  nnd  en  various  occahons  ariiing  tiiu^u^h  the  gr?atelt  parr  of  my  Wit. 
*^  M.iny  cf  theiTi  were  defigned  to  be  jiuhiillKd  among  the  Reliquia:  Ju- 
**  'V:-niles,  but  for  iome  rtai'on  or  othc!-,  iioi  wc-rth  pieieni  no;ice>,  were 
"  laid  by  at  thrit  lime.  Wheihtr  I  ftiall  ever  publilh  thfm  I  know  not, 
*'  thouiih  ^ir  the  greater  part  o^  them  have  ftood  long  corrected  among 
**■  my  manulcripts  ,  nor  do  I  ruppoie  many  of  them  inferior  to  thofe  Ei- 
*'  C\)'%  and  Remarks  or  this  kind  which  have  before  apt^taieil  in  the  world 
'*  with  fome  acceptLmce.  If  tney  sre  not  publiiTieu  in  my  life-time,  my 
•♦  v/ofthy  iiiends,  who  have  the  c.ire  ot  my  pir^i?;  MW  L^A,VF  QKn 
•*  AVH.-VT  Tl-ISy  PLEASE." 


n8        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts, 

it  is  fciid  **  Dr.  Doddridge  with  great  difficulty 
refcued  from  deflrudtion."  This  piece  is  evi- 
dently of  the  fame  complexion  with  what  the 
Dodor  had  before  publiilied,  and  therefore  mod 
undoubtedly  that  was  the  cafe  with  the  other 
fapers  which  were  Jiipprejjed^  to  which  this  was 
prefixed. 

We  fhall  here  tranfcribe  it  at  length,  as  the 
beft  anfwer  to  the  above  aiTerticns  of  the  Months 
ly  Reviewer^  and  at  the  fame  time  as  the  moft 
decifive  proof  v/hat  the  Dodtor's  laft  fentiments 
were  on  this  much  difputed  point  of  Divinity,  as 
well  as  a  plcaiing  evidence  of  his  ferioufnefs,  hu- 
mility and  impartiality  in  his  fearch  after  truth. 

It  is  publiihed  in  the  Quarto  Edition  of  Dr. 
Watts's  works,  vol.  iv.  p.  640 — 643,  at  the  end 
of  his  Remnants  of  l^ime  employed^  and  is  verba- 
tim as  follows. 

— •>o<^>o< — 

No.  11. 

"l^he  Author  s  Sqlemn  Addrefs  to  the  great  and 
ever-bleffed  God,  on  a  Review  of  what  he  had 
written  in  the  Trinitarian  Controverfy^  prefixed 
by  him  to  fome  Pieces  on  that  SubjeB  which  it 
was  not  judged  necejfary  to  publijh. 

IGHTEOUS  art  thou,  O  Lord,  when 
I  plead  with  thee  ;  yet  I  may  talk  with 
thee  concerning  thy  judgments.  Permit  me,  O 
God  and  Father,  to  plead  with  thee  concerning 
the  revelations  of  thy  nature  and  thy  grace, 
which  are  made  in  thy  gofpel  :  And  let  me  do 

""     ■     •  it 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        119 

> 

it  with  all  that  humble  reverence,  and  that  holy 
awe  of  thy  majefty,  v/hich  becomes  a  creature  in 
the  prefence  ol  his  God. 

''  Haft  thou  not,  O  Lord  God  Almighty, 
-haft  thou  not  tranla^fted  thy  divine  and  impor- 
tant alFairs  among  men  by  thy  Son  Jeftis  Chrtji^ 
and  by  thy  holy  Spirit  ?  And  haft  thou  not  or- 
dained that  men  fhould  tranfaci:  their  higheft  and 
moft  momentous  concerns  with  thee,  by  thy 
Son  and  by  thy  Spirit  ?  Haft  thou  not,  by  the 
mouth  of  thy  Son  ^^efiis  required  all  that  profefs 
his  religion  to  be  waChed  v/ith  water  in  the  name 
of  the  Father  and  the  Son  and  the  holy  Ghoft  ? 
Is  it  not  my  duty  then,  to  enquire,  who  or  what 
are  thefe  lacred  names,  and  what  they  fignify  ? 
Muft  I  not  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and 
"Jefus  Chrift  thy  Son,  whom  thou  haft  fent,  that 
I  may  fulfil  all  my  refpe^live  duties  towards  thy- 
felf  and  thy  Son,  in  hope  of  eternal  life  ?  Hath 
not  thy  Son  himfelf  appealed  to  thee  in  his  laft 
prayer,  that  eternal  life  depends  upon  this  know- 
ledge ?  And  fince  thou  haft  made  fo  much  ufe 
of  thy  holy  Spirit  in  our  religion,  m.uft  I  not 
have  fom.e  knowledge  of  this  thy  Spirit  alfo,  that 
I  may  pay  thee  all  thofe  honours  thou  requiredft 
from  this  divine  revelation  ? 

"  Haft  thou  not  afcribed  divine  names,  and 
titles,  and  charatfters  to  thy  Son  and  thy  holy 
Spirit  in  thy  word,  as  well  as  ailumed  them  ta 
thyfelf  ?  And  haft  thou  not  appointed  to  thera 
fuch  glorious  offices  as  cannot  be  executed  with- 
out fomething  of  divinity  or  true  Godhead  in 
them  ?  And  yet  art  not  thou,  and  thou  alone^ 
the  true  God  ?  How  ihall  a  poor  weak  creature 

H  A,  be 


jjo        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

be  able  to  adjafl  and  reconcile  thefe  clafhlng 
ideas,  and  to  underftand  this  myftery  ?  Or  muft 
1  believe  and  adt  blindfold,  without  underfland- 
ing  ? 

*^  Holy  Father,   thou   knoweft,   how    firmly 
I  believe,  with  all  my  foul,  whatfoever  thou  haft 
plainly  written  and  revealed  in  thy  word.     I  be- 
lieve Thee  to  be  the  only  true   God,  the  fu- 
preme  of  beings,   felf-fufficient  for   thine  owa 
exiftence,  and  for  all  thy  infinite  aff^airs  and  tranf- 
adions  among  creatures.     I  believe  thy    only 
Son  Jefus  Chrtji  to  be  all-fufficient  for  the  glo- 
rious work  of  mediation  between  God  and  man, 
to  which  thou  haft  appointed  him.     I   believe 
he  is  a  man,  in  whom  dwells  all  the  fulnefs  of 
the  Godhead  bodily.     I  believe  he  is  one   with 
God  ;  he  is  God  manifefted  in  the  fiefh  ;    and 
that  the  man  Jtjus  is  fo  clofely  and  infeparately 
united  with  the  true  and  eternal  Godhead,  as  to 
become  one  perfon,  even  as  the  foul  and  body 
make  one  man.     I  believe  that  this  illuftrious 
perfon  is  hereby  poffeffed  of  divine  dignity,  fuf- 
ficient  to  make  full   atonement  for  the  fins  of 
men  by   his  fufferings  and  death,  even  though 
they  be  accounted  an  infinite  evil  ;    and  that  he 
hath  all-fufficient  power  to   raife  himfelf  from 
the  dead,  to  afcend    to  heaven,   and   fulfil  the 
bleffed  works  for  which  thou  haft  exalted  him, 
and  to  govern  and  judge  the  world  in  thine  ap- 
pointed time. 

'*  I  believe  alfo  thy  blefied  Spirit  hath  almigh- 
ty power  and  influence  to  do  all  thy  will,  to  in- 
j[lru6t  men  effectually  in  divine  truths,  to  change 
the  hearts  of  fallen  mankind  from  fin  to  holinels, 

and 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        tzi 

and  to  carry  on  thy  work  of  illumination,  fane- 
tification;,  and  conlblation  on  the  fouls  of  all  thy 
children,  and  to  bring  them  fafe  to  the  heavenly 
world.  I  yield  myfelf  up  joyfully  and  thank- 
fully  to  this  method  of  thy  falvation,  as  it  is  re- 
vealed in  thy  gofpel.  But  I  acknowledge  my 
darkncfs  ftill.  I  want  to  have  this  wonderful 
dodrine  of  the  all-furlicience  of  thy  Son  and 
Spirit,  for  thefe  divine  works  made  a  little  plainer. 
May  not  thy  humble  creature  be  permitted  to 
know  what  (hare  they  can  have  in  thy  deity  ?  Is 
it  a  vain  and  finful  curiofity  to  deflre  to  have  this 
article  let  in  fuch  a  light,  as  may  not  diminifh 
the  eternal  glory  of  the  unity  of  the  true  God, 
nor  of  the  iupremacy  of  Thee  the  Father  of  ail. 
''  Hadft  thou  informed  me,  gracious  Father, 
in  any  place  of  thy  word,  that  this  divine  doc- 
trine is  not  -to  be  underftood  by  men,  and  yet 
they  were  required  to  believe,  I  would  havefub- 
dued  all  my  curioiit/  to  faith,  and  fubmitted  my 
wandering  and  doubtful  im.nginations,  as  far  as  it 
was  pofliblc,  to  the  holy  and  wife  determinations 
of  thy  word.  But  I  cannot  find  thou  haft  any 
where  forbid  me  to  underftand  it  or  to  maks 
thefe  enquiries.  My  confcience  is  the  bed:  na- 
tural light  thou  haft  put  within  me,  and  fines 
thou  haft  given  me  the  fcriptures,  my  own  con- 
fcience bids  me  fearch  the  fcriptures,  to  find  out 
truth  and  eternal  life  :  It  bids  me  try  all  things, 
and  hold  faft  that  which  is  good.  And  thy  owa 
word  by  the  fame  expreffions,  encourages  this 
holy  pradlice.  I  have,  therefore,  been  long 
fearching  into  this  divine  dodrine,  that  I  may 
pay  thee  due  honour  with  underftanding.     Sure- 


122        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

ly  I  ought  to  know  the  God  whom  I  worfhip, 
whether  he  be  one  pure  and  fimple  being,  or 
whether  thou  art  a  threefold  deity,  confifting  of 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  tlie  holy  Spirit. 

**  Dear  and  blefled  God,  hadft  thou  been 
pleafed,  in  any  one  plain  fcripture,  to  have  in- 
formed me  which  of  the  different  opinions  about 
the  holy  Trinity,  among  the  contending  parties 
of  chriflians,  had  been  true,  thou  knoweft  with 
how  much  zeal,  fatisfaffion,  and  joy  my  unbi- 
ased heart  would  have  opened  itfelf  to  receive 
and  embrace  the  difcovery.  Hadfl  thou  told 
me  plainly  in  any  fmgle  text,  that  the  Father, 
Son,  and  holy  Spirit,  are  three  real  diftind  per- 
fpns  in  thy  divine  nature,  I  had  never  fuffered 
myfelf  to  be  bewildered  in  fo  many  doubts,  nor 
embarrafTed  with  fo  many  ftrong  fears  of  affent- 
ing  to  the  mere  inventions  of  men,  inftead  of  di- 
vine dodlrine  ;  but  I  fliould  have  humbly  and 
immediately  accepted  thy  words,  fo  far  as  it  was 
pofiible  for  me  to  underftand  them,  as  the  only 
rule  of  my  faith.  Or  had  11:  thou  been  pleafed 
fo  to  exprefs  and  include  this  propofition  in  the 
feveral  fcattered  parts  of  thy  book,  from  whence 
my  reafon  and  confcience  might  with  eafe  find 
out,  and  with  certainty  infer  this  dodlrine,  I 
Ihould  have  joyfully  employed  all  my  reafoning 
powers,  with  their  utmoft  {k\l\  and  adlivity,  to 
have  found  out  this  inference,  and  ingrafted  it 
into  my  foul. 

*'  Thou  haft  taught  me,  holy  Father,  by  thy 
prophets,  that  the  way  of  holinefs  in  the  times 
of  the  gofpel,.  or  under  the  kingdom  of  the  Mef- 
fiah,  fhall  be  a  high-way,  a  plain  and  eafy  path  ;^ 

fa 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        123 

fo  that  the  way-faring  man ,  or  the  ftranger,  though 
a  fool,  fhall  not  err  therein.  And  thou  haft  call- 
ed the  poor  and  the  ignorant,  the  mean  and  fool- 
iili  things  of  this  world,  to  the  knowledge  of 
thyfelf  and  thy  Son,  and  taught  them  to  receive 
and  partake  of  the  lalvation  which  thou  haft 
provided.  But  how  can  fuch  weak  creatures 
ever  take  in  fo  ftrange,  fo  difficult,  and  fo  abftrufe 
a  dovitrine  as  this  •  in  the  explication  and  de- 
fence whereof,  multitudes  of  men,  even  men  of 
learning  and  piety,  have  loft  themfeives  in  infi- 
nite fubtiltics  of  difpute,  and  endlefs  mazes  of 
darknefs  ?  And  can  this  ftrange  and  perplexing 
notion  of  three  real  perfons  going  to  makeup 
one  true  God,  be  fo  neceftary  and  fo  important 
a  part  of  that  chriftian  doftrine,  which,  in  the 
Old  Teftament  and  the  New,  is  reprefented  as 
fo  plain  and  fo  eafy,  even  to  the  meaneft  under- 
ftandings  ? 

''  O  thou  Searcher  of  Hearts,  who  knoweft 
all  things,  I  appeal  to  thee  concerning  the  iin- 
cerityofmy  enquiries  into  thefe  difcoveries  of 
thy  word.  Thou  knoweft  me,  thou  haft  fccn. 
me,  and  haft  tried  my  heart  towards  thee :  If 
there  be  any  lurking  hypocrify  in  my  heart,  any 
lecret  bias  towards  any  thing  but  Truth,  uncov- 
er it,  O  Father  of  Lights,  and  banilh  it  from  my 
foul  for  ever.  If  thine  eye  difcovers  the  leaft 
fpark  of  criminal  prejudice  in  any  corner  of  my 
foul,  extinguiih  it  utterly,  that  I  m^ay  not  be  led 
aftray  from  the  truth,  in  matters  of  fuch  im- 
portance, by  the  leaft  glance  of  error  or  miftake. 

'•'  Thou  art.witnefs,  O  tny  God,  with  what 
diligence,   with  what  conftancy  and  care,  J  have 

read 


124        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

read  and  fearched  thy  holy  word,  how  early  and 
late,  by  night  and  by  day,  I  have  been  making 
thefe  enquiries  ;  how  fervently  I  have  been 
feeking  thee  on  my  bended  knees,  and  directing 
my  humble  addrefies  to  thee,  to  enlighten  my 
darkncfs,  and  to  fliew  me  the  meaning  of  thy 
word,  that  I  may  learn  what  I  mufV  believe,  and 
what  I  muft  pradtife  with  regard  to  this  dodrine, 
in  order  to  pleafe  thee,  and  obtain  eternal  life  ! 

<*  Great  God,  who  feeft  all  things,  thou  haft 
beheld  what  bufy  temptations  have  been  often 
fluttering  about  my  heart,  to  call  it  off  from 
thefe  laborious  and  difficult  enquiries  and  to 
give  up  thy  word  and  thy  gofpel  as  an  unintelli- 
gible book,  and  betake  myfelf  to  the  light  of  na- 
ture and  reafon  :  But  thou  haft  been  pleafed  by 
thy  divine  power  to  fcatter  thefe  temptations, 
and  to  fix  my  heart  and  my  hope  again  upon  that 
Saviour  and  that  eternal  life,  which  thou  haft  re- 
vealed in  thy  word,  and  propofed  therein  to  our 
knowledge  and  acceptance.  Bleffed  be  the  name 
of  my  God,  that  has  not  fuftered  m^  to  abandon 
the  gofpel  of  his  Son  ye/us  !  and  bleffed  be  that 
holy  Spirit  that  kept  me  attentive  to  the  truth 
delivered  in  thy  gofpel,  and  inclined  me  to  vv^ait 
longer  in  my  fearch  of  thefe  divine  truths  under 
the  hope  of  thy  gracious  illumination. 

**  I  humbly  call  thee  to  witnefs,  O  my  God, 
what  a  holy  jealoufy  I  ever  wear  about  my  heart^. 
left  I  Aould  do'  the  llighteft  diftionor  to  thy  fu- 
preme  Majefty,  in  any  of  my  enquiries  or  deter- 
minations. Thou  feeft  what  a  religious  fear, 
and  what  a  tender  folicitude  I  miaintain  on  my 
foul,  left  I    ihould  think  or  ipeak  any  thing  to 

diminiih 


MEMOIRS  OF  Dr»  Watts.        125 

dirriinirti  the  grandeur  and  honour  of  thy  Son 
Jfjus,  my  dear  Mediator,  to  whom  I  owe  my 
everbfling  hopes.  Thou  knoweft  how  much  I 
am  afraid  of  Ipeaking  one  word  which  may  be 
conftrued  into  a  negledl  of  thy  bleiled  Spirit, 
from  whom  I  hope  I  am  daily  receiving  happy 
influences  of  light  and  ftrength.  Guard  all  the 
motions  of  my  mind,  O  almighty  God,  againft 
every  thing  that  borders  upon  thefe  dangers. 
Forbid  my  thoughts  to  indulge,  and  forbid  my 
pen  to  write  one  word,  that  should  fink  thofe 
grand  ideas  which  belong  to  thyfelf,  or  thy  Son, 
or  thy  holy  Spirit.  Forbid  it,  O  my  God,  that 
ever  I  fhould  be  fo  unhappy  as  to  unglorify  my 
Father,  my  Saviour,  or  my  Sandifier,  in  any  of 
my  fentiments  or  expreiTions  concerning  them. 

^'  Blefled  and  faithful  God,  haft  thou  not  pro- 
mifed  that  the  meek  thou  wilt  guide  in  judg- 
ment, the  meek  thou  wilt  teach  thy  v/ay  ?  Haft 
thou  not  told  us  by  Ifaiah  thy  prophet,  that 
thou  wilt  bring  the  blind  by  a  way  which  they 
knew  not,  and  wilt  lead  them  in  paths  which 
they  have  not  known  ?  Haft  thou  not  informed 
us  by  thy  prophet  Hofea  that  if  we  follow  on  to 
know  the  Lord,  then  we  fhall  know  him  ?  Hath 
not  thy  Son,  our  Saviour,  afiured  us,  that  our 
heavenly  Father  will  give  his  holy  Spirit  to 
them  who  aik  him  ?  And  is  he  not  appointed 
to  guide  us  into  all  truth  ?  Have  I  not  fought 
the  gracious  guidance  of  thy  good  Spirit  contin- 
ally  ?  Am  I  not  truly  fenfible  of  my  own  dark- 
nefs  and  weaknefs,  my  dangerous  prejudices  on 
every  fide,  and  my  utter  infurficiency  for  my  own 
condud  ?  Wilt  thou  leave  fuch  a  poor   creature 

bewildered 


726        Memoirs  of  Dh.  Watts. 

bewildered  among  a  thoufand  perplexities,  v/hich 
are  railed  by  the  various  opinions  and  contrivan- 
ces of  men  to  explain  thy  divine  truth  ? 

*'  Help  me,  heavenly  Father,  for  I  am  quite 
tired  and  weary  of  thefe  human  explainings,  fo 
various  and  uncertain.  When  wilt  thou  explain 
it  to  me  thyfelf,  O  my  God,  by  the  fecrct  and 
certain  dilates  of  thy  Spirit,  according  to  the 
intimations  of  thy  word  ?  nor  let  any  pride  of 
reafon,  nor  any  affe6tation  of  novelty,  nor  any 
criminal  bias  whatfoever,  turn  my  heart  afide 
from  hearkening  to  thefe  divine  didates  of  thy 
word  and  thy  Spirit.  Suffer  not  any  of  my  na- 
tive corruptions,  nor  the  vanity  of  my  imagina- 
tion to  caffc  a  mift  over  my  eyes,  while  I  am 
fearching  after  the  knowledge  of  thy  mind  and 
will,  for  my  eternal  falvation. 

**  I  intreat,  O  moft  merciful  Father,  that  thou 
wilt  not  fuffer  the  remnant  of  my  fhort  life  to 
be  wafted  in  fach  endlefs  wanderings,  in  queft 
of  thee  and  thy  Son  yefus^  as  a  great  part  of  my 
paft  days  have  been  ;  but  let  my  iincere  endea- 
vours to  know  thee,  in  all  the  ways  whereby  thou 
hafl:  difcovered  thyfelf  in  thy  word,  be  crow^ned 
with  fuch  fuccefs,  that  my  foul  being  eftablifhed 
in  every  needful  truth  by  thy  holy  Spirit,  I  may 
fpend  my  remaining  life  according  to  the  rules 
of  thy  gofpel,  and  may  With  all  the  holy  and 
happy  creation  afcribe  glory  and  honour,  wifdom 
and  p^wer  to  thee,  who  fitteft  upon  the  throne, 
and  to  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever/' 

No.  III. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        127 

No.  III. 

Two  Letters  between  the  Fuklijker  of  this 
Work  and  a  Vriendy  conce^-ning  Dr.  Watts'j 
Sentiments  refpetling  the  Trinity, 

L  E  T  T  E  R     I. 

DEAR  SIR, 

1  HxWE  read  with  attention  the  view  which 
you  have  given  oi  Dr.  Watts's  laft  fentiments 
concerning  the  Doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and 
think  you  have  undeniably  proved  that  the  com- 
mon reports  of  certain  perfons,  rcfpeding  his  re- 
nunciation of  the  orthodox  faith,  are  without 
foundation.  But  I  muft  take  the  liberty  to  fay, 
that  in  the  extrads  which  you  have  given  from 
his  two  laft  publications,  you  have  led  your 
readers  to  entertain  an  idea  that  he  was  entirely 
in  Vv'hat  has  been  called  of  late  The  Indii'elPmg- 
Scheme ;  that  he  did  not  maintain  a  diftindion  of 
perfons  in  the  Godhead,  but  conceived  of  God, 
as  being  only  one  perfon,  who  is  called  the  Fa- 
ther, and  that  it  was  this  one  perfon  who  dwelt 
in  the  man  Chrift  Jefus,  in  confequence  of  which 
union  Chrift  is  God.  Whereas  I  think  you 
rnuft  have  found,  in  examining  his  writings,  that 
he  did  not  deny  a  three-fold  diftindion  in  Deity, 
and  that  Chrifl  had  an  exiftence  as  God,  previ- 
ous tO-  the  nnion  of  the  human  nature  to  the 
Godhead.  For  m.y  ov/n  part,  though  I  Vv^ould 
by  no  means   condemn  you  and  others,  who  are 

in 


123       Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts, 

in  the  Indwell ing-fcheme,  as  heretics,  fince  you 
mean  to  fupport  the  Deity  of  Chrill;  and  I  think 
your  fentiments  widely  different  from  Arianifni 
or  Socinianifm  ;  yet  1  muft  confefs  to  you  that  I 
do  not  believe  this  to  be  the  fcripture  reprefent- 
ation  of  the  dodtrine.  And,  thoug-h  I  atn  clear- 
]y  of  opinion  that  our  orthodox  writers  are  not 
to  be  juftified,  who  fpeak  of  the  Father,  Sgn, 
and  Spirit  as  three  perfons  fo  diftmd:  from  each 
other  as  to  be  three  beings  (which  I  cannot  vin- 
dicate from  the  charge  of  I'rithef/m  ;)  yet  I  do 
apprehend  that  there  is  a  three-fold  diftindion 
in  Deity,  which  juftifies  the  term  three  perfons y 
and  that  to  each  of  thefe  the  effential  attributes 
of  Deity  belong.  Herein  I  cannot  but  think 
Dr.  Watts's  opinion  coincided  with  my  own,  fo 
that  he  was  more  orthodox  than  your  view  of 
his  fentiments  would  lead  your  authors  to  fup- 
pofe. 

I  am,  with  finccre  refpedt,  &c, 

L  E  T  T  E  R     II. 

Ajifuoer  to  the  foregoing. 

My  dear  and  worthy  frienb, 

JL  thank  you  for  the  freedom  of  your  re- 
marks, and  for  the  opportunity  which  you  have 
afforded  me  of  exprefiing  my  ideas  about  Dr. 
Watts's  fentiments,  and  propoiing  fome  queries  to 
you  concerning  ycur  own. 

I 


Memoius  of  Dr.  Watts.'        129 

I  nrmly  believe  that  Dr.  Watts  was,  in  t?ie 
latter  part  of  his  life  at  leaft,  in  the  lentiments 
which,  upon  the  moft  deliberate  and  impartial 
enquiry,  I  have  embraced,  refpedting  the  Deity 
of  Chrift,  &c.  called  the  hidwellmg-fcheme.  His 
idea  feems  clearly  to  me  to  have  been  this  :  That 
God  is  one  infinite  being,  poiTefled  of  all  per- 
fedions  :  That  this  one  God  is  he  who  is  often 
characterized  as  the  Fathe?\  That  Jefus  Chrift 
is  another  being,  or  perfon,  in  himfelf  inferior  to 
the  Father  and  derived  from  him  :  as  vou  and 
all  the  orthodox  will  allow  the  man  Chrift  to 
be  :*  Bat  that  he  exifted  with  the  Father  before 
all  worlds ;  (which  you,  with  the  Socinians, 
deny  :)  And  that  the  one  God,  the  Being  call- 
ed the  Father  (with  reference  to  Chrift  the  Son) 
was  fo  united  to  him,  and  fo  dwelt  in  him,  that 
he  became  one  with  God^  and  in  confequence  of 
this  union  he  is  properly  God,  fo  that  at  his  in- 
carnation God  was  manifejled  in  thefiep^. 

It  is  true,  he  does  fometimes  allude  to  the  idea 
of  fome  unknown  dijliuBions  in  Deity  ;  but  at 
moft,  I  conceive,  he  only  means  to  £iy,  he  does 
not  know  what  diftindtions  the  incomprehen- 
fible  nature  of  Godhead  may  admit  of  ; 
nor  do  I.  But  I  cannot  find  that  it  was  any 
article  of  his  faith  that  there  are  fuch  diftinclioiis 

in 


*  Dr.  Watts,  in  his  fermons  printed  i7xr,  has  thefe  expreflions  : 
**  The  Son  of  God  Is  fpoken  of  in  the  New  Tellament  as  a  very  glorl- 
**  0U3  perlbn,  who  was  lomeway  begotten  ot  the  Faiiier,  i.  e.  Jeri<-jfid  tix-m 
*'  God  the  Farh.;r,  Vol.  II.  p.  452.  He  is  coniiituted  near  lo  GoD  \>y 
**  an  unlpeaksble  union.  Wh^t  joys,  what  unknown  delighrs  pofTtfs 
*<  the  holy  fou!  of  the  man  Jefus  !  for  he  is  the  neareft  creaturs  10  the 
*»  bicff.-d  God  ;  for  he  is  one  with  Godhead."     Vol.  I.  p.  250. 


130        Memoirs  of  D:i.  Watts. 

in  the  Godhead  as  you  fpeak  of  ;  on  the  contrary 
he  maintains  that  the  perfon,  or  being,  united  to 
the  man  Chrift  Jefus,  was  not  a  part  of  Deity 
(for  fo  I  muft  conceive  of  it  if  it  was  not  the 
whole  Godhead)  or  an  exiftence  feparate  from  the 
Father y  but  that  it  was  the  Father  hhnfelf.  So 
that  I  cannot  think  that  I  have  given  a  partial 
reprefentation  of  his  fcntiments. 

And  now,  my  good  friend,  as  I  am  writing 
to  you  on  this  fubjedt,  I  will  embrace  the  oppor- 
tunity which  you  have  afforded  me  for  enquir- 
ing, iFhat  is  meant  by  that  three-fold  diJiin£lio7t 
in  Deity  which  you  maintain  ?  I  have  put  this 
q'ueftion  to  many  who  ufe  this  phrafeology,  but 
could  never  get  a  fatisfadlory  anfvvxr.  When  I 
have  propofed  my  difficulties,  I  have  been  told 
*'  the  fubjedt  is  myfterious,  and  I  muft  not  pry 
*'  too  inquifitively  into  the  deep  things  of  God/' 
Now  I  am  willing  to  rem.ain  ignorant  of  what 
God  has  not  thought  fit  to  reveal.  But  furely 
revealed  truth,  may  beunderftood,  and  it  cannot 
be  prefumptuous  to  fearch  into  the  meaning  of 
it.  Plov/ever,  the  enquiry  in  the  prefent  cafe  is 
not  about  the  divine  nature  itfelf,  but  about  a 
mere  human  form  of  fpeech  in  refpecl  to  it. 
And  is  there  any  prefumption  in  aflcing  a  fellow 
creature, when  he  ufes  language  concerning  God, 
which  I  do  not  underftand,  IVhat  he  7neans  by  it  ? 
or  in  ftating  the  objedions  I  have  to  it  ?  With 
as  much  propriety  might  I  charge  him  with  pre- 
fumption in  objeding  to  any  phrafeology  ofmine, 
or  defiring  of  me  an  explication  of  it.  Do  you 
exped  or  wifh  mc,  good  Sir,  to  adopt  any  modes 
of  fpeech,   without   having  ideas   to  them  ?  Is 

this 


Mi:MoiRs  OF  Dr.  Watts.        13I 

this  a  fijfficifnt  teft  of  a  perfon's  being  orthodox? 
I  have  always  thought  orthodoxy  to  fignify,  not 
/peaking y  h\xt  thinking  right.  '  For  any  thing  that 
appears,  I  think  the  fame  of  God  as  you  doo 
You  feem  to  maintain  the  Unity  of  God  in  as  ab- 
folute  a  fenfe  as  myfelf,  inafmuch  as  you  deny 
God  to  be  three  beings.  Wherein  then  do  we 
differ  ?  Were  you  to  tell  me  freely  what  ideas 
you  have  when  you  talk  of  three  diltindions  in 
Godheadj  poffibly  it  might  appear  that  you  be- 
lieve no  more  than  I  dOj  or  I  might  readily  fall 
into  your  fentimentSo  But  till  you  tell  me  your 
7neaning  (which  furely  you  can  do  if  you  have  any) 
I  am  incapable  of  making  a  comparifon  betv/eea 
your  fentiments  and  my  own*  At  prefent,  the 
mode  of  expreffion  which  you  adopt  appears  to 
me  highly  exceptionable. 

I  can  form  no  idea  of  a  three-fold  diftindlion 
in  Deity  but  that  of  three  bei/tgs^  or  three  com- 
ponent parts,  which  is  equally  inconfiilent  with 
the  unity,  and  would  imply  divifibility  ;  which 
I  am  fure  you  would  proteft  agaiiift.  I  can  eafily 
conceive  of  a  diftindion  between  -the  attributes 
of  God.  But  do  you  make  the  Son  and  Spirit 
to  be  only  diftind  attributes  ?  If  fo,  with  what 
propriety  can  they  be  reprefented,  and  addrelTed, 
as  perfons  ?  or  how  can  they  fuftain  different  of- 
fices, and  perform  different  works  ?  or  indeed 
any  at  all  ?  Belides,  if  the  attributes  of  God  be 
allowed  to  be  perfonified,  it  will  follow  that  there 
are  as  many  perfons  in  God  as  there  are  attri- 
butes. If  the  WifdomofGoD  be  called  one 
perfon,  and  his  Powder  another,  his  Holinefs  may 
be  as  juflly  ftiled  a  third,  his  Goodnefs  a  fourth, 
I  2  &c. 


132        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts* 

&c.  The  attributes  of  Deity  are  oAly  the  pro- 
perties of  his  nature.  Neither  of  thefe  can  be 
properly  called  God,  or  fpoken  of  as  equal  ta 
God,  who  is  the  being  to  whom  they  all  belong. 
Moreover,  God  himfelf  you  muft  allow  to  be  a 
bei?ig,  and  God  the  Father  you  will  admit  is  a 
perfon^  in  the  proper  fenfe  of  that  term,  i.  e.  arr 
intelligent  being  :  but  if  the  Son  and  Spirit  are 
only  attributes  of  God,  then  they  are  not  equal 
to  him,  and  confequently  this  notion  is  contrary 
to  the  orthodox  faith.  If  you  mean  that  the 
one  God  fuftains  three  CharaBers  or  Relatmts^ 
this  is  intelligible  enough,  but  then  it  is  not  or- 
thodox-,  it  is  pure  Sabellianijm,  Befides  Goi> 
fuftains  more  characters  and  relations  than  three^ 
confequently,  according  to  this  fcheme,  there  are 
more  diftinftions  or  perfons.* 

I  can  think  of  no  other  fenfe  in  which  the 
terms  can  be  ufed.  Perhaps  you  will  fay,  that 
*'  fmce  the  nature  of  God  is  to  us  incompre- 
**  henfible,  there  may,  for  ought  we  can  tell, 
*^  be  fuch  diftindlions  in  it  as  have  been  fup- 
**  pofed/'  I  anfwer.  There  may  be  various 
things  in  God  of  which  we  poor  worms  of  the 
earth  have  no  conceptions,  and  it  does  not  be- 
come us  to  deny  any  thing  concerning  him, 
however  myfterious,  which  does  not  evidently 
imply   an   imperfedion.     But  let  me  fay,    it  is 

equally 

*  If  Chrift  a:  Goi  be  a  diftin^  perfon  from  the  Father,  does  It  not  fol- 
low that  there  ^<e  t--vJO  pe>-fons\T\  Jcfus  Clirift  ?  for  he  was  a  prrlon  as  man. 
This  I  know  feme  Triiiitarians  deny,  but  it  is  oniy  to  ferve  a  t\irn»  Mud 
n  not  be  a  perfon  who  thinks,  fpeaks,  a(5\s,  fuffers,  and  dies  ?  Are  noJ 
the  perfonal  prououns  conftantly  applied  to  Chiift  as  man  ?  Do  not  you 
often  {'c^tTik  of  him  as  afling  and  fufFering  as  man  ?  To  me  nothi^ng  can 
be  plainer  than  th^t  Chrift  as  mr.n  was  a  ferjon  \  conft-quenrly,  unlcf*  h» 
be  two  perfons,  he  is  not  as  God  a  perfon  diftinfl  from  the  Father. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        133 

equally  prefumptuous  in  us  to  affijvn  any  thing 
concerning  God  which  he  himfelf  has  not  clear- 
ly revealed.  And  it  is  no  argument  that  there  is 
this  or  that  property  or  diftindtion  in  the  divine 
nature,  merely  that  the  qontrary  cannot  be  clear- 
ly proved.  I  befe-ech  you  to  think  whither  this 
would  lead  us. 

Our  faith,  with  refpedl  to  what  God  is,  muft 
be  founded,  720t  on  what  may  be  fuppofed  pojji- 
hky  and  cannot  be  proved /!-?//<?,  but  on  what  di- 
vine Revelation  clearly  ailerts  to  be  true.  And 
to  believe  any  thing  concerning  the  Deity  of 
which  we  can  give  no  rational  account,  or  to 
ufe  language  refpedting  him  without  ideas,  is  fo 
far  from  giving  him  glory,  that  it  is  doing  him 
di(honour.  At  beft  it  is  to  darken  counfel  by 
iJDords  without  knowledge. 

If  you  can  give  me  a  rational  and  fcriptural 
explanation  of  the  above  terms,  by  which  the 
Deity  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit  can  be 
maintained  to  greater  advantage  than  upon  Dr. 
Watts  ^  plan,  (which  for  want  of  a  better  I  at 
prefent  adopt)  you  w^ill  confer  a  great  obligation 
upon. 

Dear,  Sir, 

Your  friend  and  fervant. 


-yo^(^.»o<— 


I  3  No.  IV, 


134       Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts,, 
No,  IV. 

Contahiing  an  account  of  Dr.  Watts's  Manu-» 
fcripts,  and  an  AbJiraB  of  a  Correfpond* 
ence  between  him  and  the  Rev.  Martin  Tom- 
kins,  on  the  Worjhip  of  the  Holy  Spirit^  and  on 
"Trinitarian  Doxologies. 

IN  the  foregoing  papers  it  was  attempted  to 
afcertain  what  were  the  laft  fentiments  of  the 
pious  and  amiable  Dr.  Watts  on  the  fubjed: 
of  the  Trinity.  I  there  endeavoured  to  prove 
that,  though  the  Dodor  had  in  fome  refpeds 
ahered  his  manner  of  explaining  that  dodlrine, 
he  had  by  no  means  given  up  the  dodrine  itfelf ; 
that  the  reports  which  had  been  circulated,  con- 
cerning his  explicit  renunciation  of  his  former 
fentiments,  in  the  manufcripts  which  he  had  left 
behind  hini  for  publication,  v^re  without  found- 
ation, and  that  the  condud:  of  his  executors, 
which  had  been  feverely  reprehended,  in  the 
fuppreffion  of  fome  of  thofe  papers,  was  fully 
yindicable. 

Since  the  firft  publication  of  the  preceding 
work,  frefh  evidence  has  arifen  on  the  fubjed:, 
by  which  my  former  fuppofition  is  corroborated  ; 
and  it  appears  to  be  fo  full  and  decifive  as  to  de- 
icrve  to  be  now  fubjoined  to  this  work. 

In  a  collection  of  Letters  to  and  Jrom  Dr. 
Doddridge,  lately  publiflied  by  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Stedman,  there  are  feveral  written  by  the  late 
Mr.  Nealy  an  eminent  Attorney,  who  was  one 
of  Dr.  Watts\  executors.  In  one  of  thefe  let- 
ters, written  juft  after  the  Doftor's  death,  dated 

Ts^ovember 


Memoiels  of  Dr.  Watts.        135 

November  29,  1748,  is  the  following  acccAint 
of  his  Will  and  his  MSS. — **  As  I  know  your 
hieh  efleem  and  veneration  for  Dr.  Watts,  who 
has  taken  his  laft  farewel  of  the  abodes  of  mor- 
tality,— I  could  not  in  friendfhip  avoid  writing 
you  a  line  to  inform , you,  that  the  Do6lor  has 
made  his  brother  Enoch  and  myfelf  executors  of 
his  Will"  which  bears  date  July  23,  174'^),  and 
contains  the  following  claufe  : — *^  And  as  to  my 
^^  manufcripts  of  every  kind,  I  give  the  fame  to 
*^  Mr.  David  "Jennings  and  Dr.  Philip  Doddridge, 
^'  in  order  that  they  may  publifh  fuch  of  them, 
*^'  as  I  fhall  by  any  paper  or  memorandum  figni- 
^*  fy  my  defire  lliould  be  publi(l:ied  ;  and  as  to 
^'  the  remainder,  either  to  publifh  or  fupprefs 
''  as  they  fliall  judge  beil."  Mr.  Neal  adds — 
•^^  I  queilion  whether  there  arc  any  left  which  he 
^'  has  ordered  to  be  publiihed." 

At  the  beginning  of  January  following,  ?vTr. 
Jennings  wrote  to  Dr.  Doddridge  on  the  fame 
fubjedl:. — '^  I  have  waited  from  day  to  day  in 
hope  oi  being  able  to  fend  you  a  catalogue  of 
Dr.  JVattss,  manufcripts — but  I  find  Mr.  Neal 
does  not  chufe  to  meddle  with  them  juft  at  pref- 
ent.  When  he  does  you  fhali  have  immediate 
notice.  I  believe  we  fliali  not  have  near  fo  much 
trouble  in  pubiifi^iing  the  Doctor's  manufcripts 
as  I  expedied,  when  he  acquainted  me  with  his 
defign  of  committing  them  in  part  to  my  care, 
which  was  three  or  four  years  ago  ;  for  fince 
then  he  has  publiihed  moft  of  the  pvISS  he  de- 
figned  for  the  prefs,  fo  that,  as  I  learn  from  Mr. 
Parker,"*  there  is  little  if  any  thing  more  remain- 
I  4  i^S 


136        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

ing  of  that  fort,  than  the  fecond  part  of  the  Im- 
provement of  the  Mind.*' 

Mr.  Jennifigs  (who  foon  after  this  received  a 
Doctor's  Diploma)  adds  the  following  paflage  : 
*'  If  I  fhould  be  engaged  in  drawing  up  the 
Do6lor's  character,  I  am  much  obliged  to  you 
for  the  judicious  hints  you  have  furnilhed  me 
with  fbr  that  purpofe."  Mr.  'Jennings  (who 
had  preached  and  printed  a  funeral  fermon  for 
Dr.  Watts ^  in  which  he  had  drawn  a  charaEicr 
of  him)  feems  here  to  mean,  writing  his  Life  -, 
which  it  appears  from  another  letter  in  this  col- 
ledion  he  declined,  for  want  of  fufficient  mate- 
rials. We  find,  however,  that  Dr.  Doddridge 
had  fome  intention  of  undertaking  this  work. 
Why  he  did  not  execute  it  does  not  appear,  tho* 
it  was  probably  for  the  fame  reafon. 

What  were  the  fubjects  of  Dr.  JVatts\  man- 
ufcripts,  which  he  committed  to  thefe  gentle- 
men, (about  w^hich  fo  much  has  been  faid)  we 
have  now  the  iatisfailion  of  being  fully  inform- 
ed, from  the  123d  Letter  in  the  fame  colledion, 
written  by  Mr.  Ned  to  Dr,  'Doddridge,  dated 
February  8,  in  v/hich  he  fends  him  a  compleat 
catalogue  of  them,  of  which  the  following  is  a 
copy  : 

Liji  of  the  MSS  of  Dr.  Isaac  Watts,  w/jici 
are  difpcfed  of  in  covers  or  cafes,  under  the  fol-^ 
lowing  l^itlcs,  viz. 

No.  I.  Pfalmody.  II.  Of  the  Trinity,  a  mo- 
deft  defence  of  enquiries  into  truth.  III.  Two 
EiTays  on  the  Lord's  Prayer.  IV.  EfFays  and 
Remarks  on  texts  of  fcripture.     The  words  in 

which 


MemoiPsS  of  Dr.  Watts.        137 

which  we  iliould  confefs  our  faith.  The  Dia- 
mond painted.  Of  Catechifms.  A  Cafe  of  Con- 
fcience.      Figure  of  a  Cherub. 

V.  Efiays  relating  to  the  Trinity*,  viz.  An 
Enquiry  into  the  fcriptural  reprefentation  of  the 
Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Spirit.  2.  Of  the 
proper  Athanafian  fcheme  of  the  Trinity.  3.  The 
Holy  Spirit  the  true  God.  4.  The  ill  efteds 
of  incorporating  the  divine  dodlrine  of  the  Trin- 
ity with  the  human  explications  of  it. 

VI.  Remnants  of  Time  employed  in  profeand 
vcrfe,  or  (hovt  compofures,  on  various    fubjeds, 
viz.      I.   Of  human  knowledge,  and  the  various 
kinds    of  it.      2.   The   Rake   reformed    in    the 
houfe  of  mourning.      3.   An  apology  for  enlarg- 
ing Dr.  Young's   defcription  of  the   Peacock. 
4.   Juftice   and  Grace.      5.   Bills  of  Exchange. 
6.  The  ever-bleiTed  God.     7.  Vanity  infcribed 
on  all  things.    8.  The  day  of  grace.    9.  God  and 
nature  unfearchable.      10.   Therepeal.    11.   The 
Saints    unknown     in    this   world.      12.    Com- 
plaint and  hope,  a  Poem.      13.   Heathen  poefy 
chriftianized.      14.    General    fong   of  praife   to 
God.      15.   To  Amyntas,  an  ode  to  Lady  Sun- 
derland.   16.  ToPhilanthropus.    17.  TheV/ind 
Mills.      18.    The    finner    tempted    to     delj^air. 
19.   Redemption,  a  Poem.    20.  Of  confinement 
to  fet  forms  of  worfliip.      21.  Appendix  to  the 
foregoing  effay. 

VIL  A 


*  Th.Q  fjlemn  Addref:  to  the  rryeat  and  e^jcr  hlejjed  God,  printed  In  ths 
foregoing  Tracl,  p.  loi,  is  not  here  mentioned,  l)ut  in  the  Tills  to  ir, 
primed  in  his  Woilcs,  is  laid  to  have  been  ^* p^-efxed  hy  the  Do6>or  to 
•'  feme  pieces  on  tlie  Tiinlty,  which  it  was  dci  judged  ncceirarj  to  pub- 
*«  lifh." 


X38        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Vvatts. 

VII.  A  faithful  enquiry  after  the  ancient  ori- 
ginal dodtrine  of  the  Trinity,  taught  by  Chrifl: 
and  his  Apoftles.  In  two  parts.  The  firft  part 
enquires  fo  far  as  is  necefiary  to  falvation.  The 
fecond  part  fo  far  as  may  improve  our  christian 
knowledge,  and  eftablifli  our  faith  :  and  the  ob- 
jedlions  of  both  are  anfwered  in  a  plain  and  eafy 
manner,  derived  only  from  the  word  of  God. 

VIII.  The  Improvement  of  the  Mind,  fe- 
cond part. 

From  this  view  of  the  contents  of  Dr. 
IVattsz  MSS  the  impartial  reader  might 
be  left  to  judge  how  far  the  reports,  of  the 
foregoing  tradl,  are  deferving  of  credit.  It  may 
not,  however,  be  amifs  to  remark  ( i )  that  none 
of  thefe  papers  were  ordered  to  be  publiilied  : 
(2)  that  there  is  nothing  in  the  titles  of  any  of 
them  from  whence  it  appears,  with  certainty, 
that  the  Do6tor  had  materially  altered  his  fenti- 
ments  fince  the  publication  of  his  two  laft  pieces, 
which  was  within  two  years  of  his  death.  (3)  It 
does  not  appear  that  he  had  written  any  Treatife 
fmce  the  time  that  he  made  his  Will,  which  was 
in  July,  1746.  It  may  be  further  obferved — ■ 
(4)  if  the  Dod:or  had  in  any  of  his  laft  papers 
made  ^*  an  explicit  renunciation  of  his  former 
**  fentiments  concerning  the  Trinity,  8cc."  with 
which  he  was  defirous  the  public  might  be  ac- 
quainted after  his  deceafe,  it  is  incredible  that  he 
fliould  not  have  left  an  exprefs  order  that  fuch 
papers  fhould  be  publiilied  ;  in  which  cafe  his 
friends,  with  whom  he  had  entrufted  themj, 
would  doubtlefs  have  brought  them  to  light. 

What 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts,         139 

What  became  of  his  MSS  does  not  appear. 
It  is  much  to  be  v/ilhed  that  they  had  been  pre- 
ferved,  for  the  fatisfadion  of  thofe  who  might 
defire  to  infpe6t  them,  though  they  fliould  not 
have  been  thought  worthy  of  pubhcation.  The 
attentive  reader,  however,  who  is  acquainted 
with  the  Dodor's  other  pieces,  may  eafily  fup- 
pofe,  from  the  foregoing  vievi/-  of  his  papers,  and 
the  phrafeoiogy  therein  ufed,  that  they  contained 
much  the  fame  explanations  of  the  Deity  of 
Chrifl:  and  the  Spirit,  with  thofe  given  in  the 
pieces  which  he  himfelf  laft  puhUihed.  The 
fum  of  which  is,  that  Chrift  is  a  divine  perfoa  ia 
confequence  of  the  in-dwelling  of  the  Father, 
and  that  the  holy  Spirit  is  God,  as  being  the 
power,  or  adlive  energy  of  the  Deity. 

That  Dr.  Watts  was  firmly  in  this  laft  fenti- 
ment,  and  that  on  this  ground  he  afcribed  glory 
to  the  Spirit,  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  at 
the  end  of  his  prayers,  appears  abundantly  evi- 
dent, from  a  priv^ate  crcrefpondence  carried  on 
between  him  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Martin  'To?nkins ; 
of  which  I  will,  at  prefent,  content  myfelf  with 
giving  a  brief  account,  with  a  few  extracts. 


^^Kt=y— . 


^^J^hSx 


No.  V 


140        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts/ 

No.  V. 

Dr.  WattsV  Sentiments  concerning  the  Deity 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  colleBed  from  a  Corref- 
fondence  between  him  and  the  Rev.  Mr,  Mar- 
tin 'Tomkins^,  on  the  Propriety  of  ivorjhipping 
the  Spirit  by  Doxologies, 

IN  the  year  1738  Mr.  Tomkins  publifhed  a 
pamphlet,  entitled,  A  calm  Enquiry  whether 
we  have  any  warranty  from  Scripture /for  addref- 
Jing  ourfelvesy  in  a  way  of  Fray  er  or  Praife,  di- 
rectly to  the  Holy  Spirit  :  Hu?nbly  offered  to 
the  Conf  deration  of  all  Chrijiians,  particularly  of 
Protejlant  Dijfenters.  To  this  is  prefixed,  A 
Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Barker,  then  minifter  at 
Hackney y  where  Mr.  'Tomkins  refided,  expoftula- 
ting  with  him  on  the  impropriety  of  the  unfcrip- 
tural  Doxologies  which  he  then  commonly  ufed, 
and  particularly  thofe  of  Dr.  Watts  in  his  Book 
of  Hymns. 

In  the  courfe  of  the  above  tra(fl,  Mr.  I'omkins 
frequently  refers  to  Dr.  Watts\  publications, 
and  quotes  the  conceffions  which  he  has  made — ■ 
viz.  *'  that  there  is  in  fcripture  no  exprefs  pre- 
**  cept  for  addrelTing  fuch  worfliip  to  the  Spirit, 
'^  nor  any  example  of  it,  and  that  therefore  this 
"  ought  not  to  be  confideied  as  a  neceffary  part 
*'  of  chriftian  worftiip ;  though  he  thought  it 
*'  lawful,  becaufe  the  Spirit  or  Power  of  God 
**  is  truly  divine  ;  and  expedient,  becaufe  the 
**  omiflion  of  Doxologies  to  the  Spirit  would  be 

''  highly 

•  He  had  been  Minifter  of  the  DifTenting  Congregation  at  Stole  NeiV' 
ingion,  from  whence  he  was  difmiffed  for  his  deviation  from  the  Triniu- 
riun  duarir.e,     Hepub'.ilhed  his  cafe. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        141 

*"'  highly  offcnfive  to  ferious  chriftians  who  had 
*^  been  accuftomed  to  them,  and  injurious  to 
*^  their  edification.''  Mr.  T^omkins  endeavours 
to  prove,  '^  that  addrcffes  to  the  Spirit,  in  prayer 
*'  or  praife,  are  unlawful  and  improper,  chiefly 
*'  becaule  we  have  no  warrant  for  them  in  the 
*^  holy  fcripture,  which  is  our  only  ruleof  wor- 
*^  ihip,  and  that  no  other  confiderations  ought 
•*  to  influence  us  to  the  pradice."  Pie  further 
endeavours  to  prove,  that,  "  according  to  Dr. 
^'  Watts  %  avowed  fentiment  concerning  the  Spi- 
''  rit,  as  not  a  real  perfon,  but  the  power  of  the 
**  Father,  afcriptions  of  praife  to  the  Spirit  are 
**  highly  unjufliifiable." 

The  copy  of  Mr.  T^07nkins\  traft,  now  in  my 
poireffion,  contains  Dr.  Watts '$>  remarks  upon  it 
in  the  margin,  fairly  written  with  his  own  hand. 
The  following  pafTage  is  extracted  as  a  fpecimen. 

T>r,  Y/atts's  Sentiments  about  the  Holy  Spirit. 

'^  TO  repeat  in  brief  my  fenfe  of  this  matter, 
'*  it  ftands  thus.  The  Spirit  of  any  being,  in 
*'  fcripture- phrafe,  is  fometimes  ufed  for  being 
*'  itfelf,  or  it  denotes  its  adtive  and  operative 
*'  power.  So  an  unclean  or  evil  fpiritis  the  de- 
*'  vil,  Luke  vii.  21.  A6ls  xix.  15.  Matt.  x.  i. 
*'  and  is  called  the  fpirit  of  an  unclean  devil, 
*'  Luke  iv.  33.  So  the  Spirit  of  God  fometimes 
*^  means  God  himfelf.  And  further,  as  the  fpir- 
**  it  of  a  man  and  the  fpirit  of  a  beaft  denote,  in 
*'  fcripture  language,  the  principle  of  adive  pow- 
*'  er  in  man  and  beafl:,  why  may  not  the  Spirit 
*'  of  God  have  the  fame  fignification  ? 

''  And 


142        Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts; 

^'  And  though  God  the  Father  and  his  Spif-- 
«Mt  be  the  fame  one  true  God,  yet  they  are 
*'  fometimes  diflinguifned  and  fometimes  joined. 
*'  Ifai.  xlviii.  16.  T/je  Lord  God  and  his  Spirit 
*^  hasfent  me.  Even  the  attributes  of  God  are 
^*  diflinguilhed  from  him  and  yet  coupled  with 
*^  him  in  fcripture.  Is  it  not  foretold  by  Hofea 
**  concerning  the  latter  days,  that  men  fliould 
*\fear  the  Lord  and  his  Goodncfs,  Hof.  iii.  5. 
*'  Does  not  Ezekiel  fay,  blejfed  be  the  Glory  of  the 
*^  Lordy  Ezek.  iii.  12.  Does  not  Pfal.  cv.  4. 
**  diredt  us  to  feek  the  Lord  and  his  Strength^ 
*^  feek  his  face  evermore  ?  Are  not  we  called  up- 
**  on  to  truft  in  his  Mercy ^  as  well  as  in  God 
^*  himfelf  ?  Why  may  we  not  then  praife  the 
''-  Lord  and  his  goodnefs,  or  bkfs  the  Lord  and 
**  his  ftrejigth  ?  &c.  Why  fliould  thefe  expref- 
'*  lions  ^'  found  fo  oddly"  in  the  ears  of  chrif- 
'^  tians,  who  read  thofe  in  their  bible  fo  nearly 
^'  like  them  ?  And  v/hy  may  we  not  fay,  Blejfed 
**  ie  the  Lord  and  his  Eternal  Spirit  ?  efpecially 
*'  fuppofing  the  Spirit  of  God  to  be  fomething 
*'  in  God  of  greater  diftinffion  than  a  mere  at- 
*'  tribute,  and  to  be  often  repref^nted  in  fcrip- 
*^  ture  in  a  perfonal  manner  r" 

The  Dodor  having  read  to  Mr.  I'omkins  his 
remarks,  without  giving  him  a  copy  of  them, 
Mr.  I'omJzins  wrote  a  reply  at  length,  from  his 
memory,  which  makes  nearly  two  fheets  of  pa- 
per, in  a  fmall  hand,  which  I  have  nov/  before 
me.  It  is  dated  April  21,  1738.  In  this  let- 
ter Mr.  ^o?nkinSy  with  great  freedom  and  clear- 
nefs,  ftates  his  objedicns  to  what  the  Dodor  had 
:idvanced  in  favour  of  his  practice   in  doxologiz- 


mg 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        145 

ing  the  Spirit,  and  endeavours  to  fhew,  that  his 
motive  for  it,  upon  which  he  lays  fo  much  ftrefs, 
(viz.  the  avoiding  of  offence  to  many  ferious 
chriftians)  was  infafficient,  and  that  by  his  con- 
duct in  this  matter,  he  led  them  to  conceive  of 
his  fentiments  concerning  the  Spirit  to  be  differ- 
ent from  what  they  were,  and  encouraged  them 
in  worihipping  the  Spirit  as  a  real  perfon  diftindl 
from  the  Father. 

At  the  clofe  of  the  letter  Mr.  T^omkins  expref- 

fes   his   mind  with  freedom  about  Dr.  Watts  ^ 

Doxologies  in  his  Book  of  Hymns.   I  fnall  quote 

this  pailage  for  the  fake  of  gratifying  the  reader 

with  the  Doctor's  reply,  which  will  ferve  to  il- 

luili-ate  and  confirm  what  I  had  before  obferved, 

with  refpedt  to  a  report  of  the  Dodor's   having 

left  a  corrected  copy  of  his  Hymn-book,  defign- 

ed  for  publication.     '^  My  chief  aim   (fays  Mr. 

*'  T^Gmkins)  in  all  I  do  upon  this  fubjedt  is,  the 

*^  refioring  the  chriftian  worfhip  to  its  primitive 

*^  purity,  and  freeing  it  from  what  I  cannot  but 

^'  look   upon   as  an  unv/arran table    innovation. 

*'  And  for  this  purpofe  I  would  make  bold   to 

*'  proceed  one  ftep  farther,  and  afk,  v^hetheryoa 

*'  nOvV  approve  of  what  you  have  faid  concern- 

**  iag  the  Gloria  Fatriy  in  your  Book  of  Hymns  ; 

*•  and  whether,  upon  your  prefent  notion  of  the 

**  Spirit,  you  can  eftcem  fome  of  thofe  Doxolo- 

*'  gies  you  have  given  us  there,  I  will  not  fay, 

*'  as  fome  of  the  nohkjl  parts  of  chrijiian  worjhip,'' 

*^  [the   Doctor's   words]   but  as  proper  chriftian 

*'  worfhip  ?  And  if  not,  v/hether  you  m-ay  not 

*'  think  it  becoming  you,   as  a    lover  of  truth, 

*^  and  as  a  chriftian  minifter,  to  declare  as  much 

''  to 


^44       Memoirs  of  Dr.  WattsJ 

**  to  the  world  ;  and  not  fuffer  fuch  forms  of 
*'  worihip  to  be  recommended  by  your  name  and 
*^  authority,  to  the  ufe  of  the  chriftian  church 
*'  in  theprcfent  time  and  in  future  generations  ?" 

In  the  margin  of  this  long  epiille  of  Mr.  T'om^ 
kins,  are  contained  Dr.  Watts  %  remarks,  which 
are  upwards  of  twenty.  Oppofite  to  this  laft 
paragraph  the  Dodor  writes  thus  :  **  I  freely 
*'  anfwer,  I  wifli  fome  things  were  correctled. 
*^  But  the  queflion  with  me  is  this  :  as  I  wrote 
"  them  in  fmcerity  at  that  time,  is  it  not  more 
*'  for  the  edification  of  chriftians,  and  the  glory 
**  of  God,  to  let  them  ftand,  than  to  ruin  the 
**  ufefulnefs  of  the  whole  book,  by  correding 
''  them  now,  and  perhaps  bring  further  and  falfe 
*^  fufpicions  on  my  prefent  opinions  ?  Befidcs,  I 
^*  might  tell  you,  that  of  all  the  books  I  have 
**  written,  that  particular  copy  is  not  mine.  I 
*^  fold  it  for  a  trifle  to  Mr.  Lawrence  near  thir- 
"  ty  years  ago,  and  his  poflerity  make  money  of 
*Mt  to  this  day,  and  I  can  fcarce  claim  a  right 
*'  to  make  any  alteration  in  the  book  which 
**  would  injure  the  fale  of  it." 

It  appears  that  Dr.  Watts  communicated  to 
Mr.  'Tomkins  his  remarks  upon  his  letter,  which 
produced  another  from  him,  dated,  Hackneyy 
July  5,  1738,  on  which  there  is  only  this  one 
marginal  note  of  the  Dodtor's.  ''  Mr.  'To?nki72is 
*'  confeflion  of  my  Doxology  to  the  H.  S.  to  be 
*'  lawful,  yet  not  neceifary."  In  this  letter, 
v^hich  contains  nearly  a  fheet  in  fmall  writing, 
Mr.  T^omkins^  though  he  grants  that  the  Doxo- 
logy which  Dr.  Watts  ufed,  was  not  in  itfelf 
unlawful,  ftrongly  objeds  to  the  propriety  of  it, 

and 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts-        145 

and  to  the  principle  on  which  the  Doctor  plead- 
ed for  it,  that  of  complying  with  the  prejudices 
of  many  ferious  people. 

**  I  do  flill  alfo  differ  from  you  as  to  the  mat- 
"  ter  of  offence — nor  can  I  recoileci:  any  thing^ 
**  in  the  pradice  or  diredions  of  the  apodles  that 
'*  gives  the  leaft  countenance  to  fuch  a  proceed- 
*'  ino:.'*  With  reeard  to  the  Gloria  Patri,  in 
the  Doctor's  Hymns,  he  adds,  "  I  can  by  no 
**  means  approve  of  your  excufe  for  letting  thofe 
**  Doxologies  in  your  Book  of  Hymns  (which 
**  you  own  you  do  not  now  approve  of,  as  pro- 
*Vper  chriftian  worfhip)  ftand  recommended  by 
**  your  name  and  authority,  to  the  ufe  of  the 
**  prefent  church  and  of  future  generations^ 
"  May  not  chriftians  edify  by  what  is  fcriptural 
**  in  that  book,  notv/ithftanding  your  renoun-- 
*^  cing  or  retracing  what  you  now  apprehend 
"  to  be  unfcriptural  ?  Or  if  iovc^.^^  weak  perfonr. 
**  might,  by  that  means,  be  prevented  from 
**  reaping  the  advantage  v/hich  otherwife  they 
*'  might  do  by  your  Hymns,  will  you,  for  the 
**  fake  of  that,  recommend  to  the  church  the 
*'  making  ufe  of  what  you  yourfelf  judge  to  be, 
**  at  beft,  unintelligible  founds,  in  their  folemn: 
**  ads  of  vvorfliip  5  recommend  it  to  them  as  o?-" 
**  of  the  noblejl  parts  of  chrijlian  U'Orfip  ?  Let  u? 
**  not  do  evil  that  good  may  come  of  it.'* 

After  faying  fomething  on  the  different  opin- 
ions of  different  peribns  concerning  his  Calm  En- 
quiry ^  he  concludes  the  correfpondence  thus. 
.**  And  truly  we  fooukl  not  be  much  concerned 
**  about  the  opinion  of  any  particular  perfon, 
*'  when  v/e  are  engaged  in  the  caufc  of  God, 
K  "  and 


14^       MEMOIRS  01^  Dr.  WATts. 

"  and  the  chriftian  religion.  If  we  may  hope 
*^  that  our  great  Lord  and  Mafter  approves*  of 
''  what  we  do,  it  is  enough.  Whether  you  or  I 
**  are  in  the  right  ;  whether  your  condudl  in 
**  this  affair,  or  mine,  is  beft  approved  of  him, 
*'  who  is  the  infallible  judge,  Dies  ultimus  in- 
*'  dicabit.  However  that  may  be,  as  it  is  my 
**  prayer  that  we  may,  fo  I  blefs  God,  I  can  fay, 
'^  it  is  my  hope,  that  both  you  and  I  fliall  find 
**  mercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  day. 

*'  I  am.  Rev.  Sir,  notwithllanding  any  dif- 
"  ference  of  opinion, 

"  your  fincere  friend, 

*^  and  humble  fervant, 

M.  T. 

— >o<^o< — 

CONCLUSION. 

ON  a  review  of  this  publication  fo  far  as  it  re- 
fpeds  Dr.  Watts\  notion  of  the  Trinity,  (which 
I  confefs  it  was  a  leading  objed:  with  me  to 
bring  forward)  I  can  eafily  imagine  that  fome  in- 
telligent readers  will  be  dilTatisfied,  and  will  think 
his  (cheme  liable  to  equal  objedlions  with  other 
fchemes.  I  do  not  apprehend  that  it  is  incum- 
bent on  me  to  defend  it,  nor  am  I  fanguine  in  my 
opinion  that  it  is  the  true  one ;  though  I  confefs 
that  in  the  main  it  appears  to  me  at  prefent  to 
be  nearer  the  truth  than  that  commonly  received 

as 


Memoirs  of   Dr.  Watts.        147 

as  orthodox,  which  maintains  three  real perfons^ 
or  diftindl  intelligent  beings,  in  the  Godhead, 
If  I  am  miftaken  I  ihould  be  truly  glad  to  be 
better  informed.  E^y^are  pojjum^  Hareticus  ejfe 
nolo.  As  I  can  have  no  intereft  to  ferve  in  op- 
pofing  any  article  of  found  dodtrine,  neither  have 
I  any  pleafure  in  diffenting  from  popular  opin- 
ions, or  modes  of  fpeech.  I  am  fully  perfuaded, 
however,  that  the  mode  of  explication  here 
brought  to  view  is  not  fo  effentially  different 
from  fome  others  which  have  been  ufuaU 
ly  allowed  to  be  orthodox,  as  fome  perfons  ima- 
gine. All  that  I  here  intend  is  to  offer  a  few 
obfervations  in  proof  of  this  for  the  fatisfadion  of 
ferious  chriftians,  who  have  imbibed  an  early 
prejudice  in  favour  of  long  eftablifhed  fyftems, 
and  certain  human  modes  of  fpeech,  and  who 
may  be  alarmed  under  a  fufpicion  (which  certain 
perfons  of  better  information  have  taken  pains 
to  promote)  that  my  defign  is,  to  promote  Sod- 
nianifm  or  Arianif?n :  terms  of  reproach  w^hich 
too  many  (and  fome  without  underftanding  their 
meaning)  are  ever  ready  to  apply  to  fuch  as  ven- 
ture to  think  for  themfelves,  and  to  adopt  lan- 
guage different  from  that  which  human  creeds 
have  ftamped  as  facred,  though  the  mod  remiOte 
from  the  language  of  the  Bible,  If  fuch  will 
be  attentive  in  reading,  and  candid  in  judging,  I 
hope  to  convince  them,  w^hether  they  fall  in 
with  my  mode  of  explanation  or  not,  that  I  have 
dG72e  nothing  ciga'mji  the  truth)  hut  for  the  truth. 
According  to  Dr.  Watts' s  view  of  the  prefent 
fuhjedt — "  The  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy 
**  Ghoft,  are  the  one  living  and  true  God."     To 

K  2  this 


148        Memoirs   of  Dr.  Watts. 

this  propofition  I  give  my  ready  affent.  And 
whoever  does  fo,  whatever  be  his  pecuHar  mode 
of  expHcation,  I  will  maintain  has  as  juft  a  claim 
to  the  chara<fter  of  ORTHODOX,  as  they  who 
do  i't  in  the  Athanajian  {^n(z.  And  for  any^ 
who  adopt  that  or  any  other  mode  of  explication, 
to  monopolize  ORTHODOXY  to  themfelves, 
is  a  degree  of  prefamption  unbecoming  fallible 
creatures,  efpecialiy  thofe  who  allow  that  the 
MODE  of  fubfiftence  in  the  Sacred  Three  is 
not  afcertained  in  fcripture  ;  and,  indeed,  it  is 
inconfiflent  with  the  avowed  Catholicifm  of  the 
ableft  and  beft  writers  who  are  the  mod  partial 
to  the  general  Calviniftic  fyftem. 

With  refped:  to  the  idea  of  PERSONAL- 
ITY, as  applicable  to  the  Father,  Son,  and  Spi- 
rit, Dr.  Watts  differed  from  many  Trinitarians, 
as  he  denied  (and  I  think  with  very  fufficient 
reafon)  *'  that  there  are  in  Deity  three  infinite- 
'*'  Spirits,  or  really  diftindt  perfons,  in  the  cong- 
*^  mon  fenfe  of  that  term,  each  having  a  diftindl 
"  intelligence,  volition,  power,  &c."  Think- 
ing fach  a  fuppofitlon  inconfiftent  with  the  pro- 
per UNITY  of  the  Godhead  ;  which  is  doubt- 
iefs  one  of  the  mod  obvious  and  fundamental 
dodlrines  of  revelation. 

But  it  is  to  be  remembered,  that  with  regard 
to  the  definition  of  pej^fwality,  Trinittarians  wide- 
ly differ  among  themfelves.  While  fome  fup- 
pofe  it  to  be  real,  others  think  it  only  mod  at ^ 
or  nominal,  and  others  fomewhat  between  both. 
Some  of  the  two  latter  claffes  bave  charged  the 
former  with  ^ritheljm  ;  and  %o  me  it  feems  dif- 
ficult to  clear  the  dotlrine  Ut>m  the  imputation. 

Noc 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        149 

Nor  can  I  conceive  what  Tritheifm  is,  if  this 
hypotheiis  does  not  come  under  the  defcription. 
To  affert  a  mere  unity  of  essence  or  na- 
ture will  not  obviate  the  difficulty  :  for  three 
divine  perfons,  or  beings,  though  of  the  fame 
nature,  or  in  other  words — all  of  them  exact- 
ly ALIKE,  (which  feems  to  be  the  meaning  of 
the  term,  and  is  the  popular  idea)  would  be  as 
really  three  Gods,  as  three  human  perfons  of 
the  fame  nature,  v/ere  they  in  all  refpeds  alike, 
would  be  three  men.  Such  a  fcntiment,  I  think, 
ought  to  be  zealoufly  oppofed  as  heretical. 

I  grant,  however,  fmce  they  v;ho  maintain 
this  dodlrine  do  not  fee  the  confequence,  but  ut- 
terly difclaim  it,  and  profefs  to  believe  in  only 
ONE  God,  whom  they  worfhip  as  one  infinite 
being,  through  one  mediator  ;  it  w^ould  be  un- 
candid  and  unjuft  to  pronounce  them  ^ritheijis^ 
and  in  my  idea  it  would  be  fchifmatical,  for  this 
reafon  alone,  to  feparate  from  their  v/orfhip  and 
communion.  Many  fuch,  whom  I  have  known, 
I  venerate  as  the  excellent  of  the  earth.  And 
whatever  peculiar  modes  of  fpeech  they  may 
adopt  in  controverfy^  their  language,  and  apparent 
^ideas,  when  engaged  in  divine  'u;o?Jhip,  are  fuch, 
that  in  uniting  v/ith  them  I  literally  comply 
with  the  apoftolic  injunction,  Rom.  xv.  6.  With  one 
mind  and  one  mouth  to  glorify  Gody  even  the  Fath^ 
er  of  our  Lord  J  ejus  Chrijl. 

But  then  on  the  fame  principles  I  mufl:  cen- 
fure  thofe  Trinitarians  as  violating  the  laws  of 
chriftian  candour,  who  upbraid  fuch  as  hold  the 
fame  general  dodrine,  Vv'ith  the  oppofite  herefy, 
and  refufe  to  hold  communion  with  them,  he- 
K  3  caufe 


150       Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

caufe  on  fuch  a  controverted  matter  as  that  of 
perfonality^  they  exprefs  themfelves  differently, 
and  chufe  to  adhere  to  the  fimplicity  of  fcripture 
language.  This  is  particularly  unbecoming  in 
thofe  who  adopt  the  modal fcheme,  fmce  the  dif- 
ference between  them  and  the  followers  of  Watts 
can  be  but  fmall. 

As  to  thofe  who  think  perfonality  in  the  God- 
head to  hcfomewhat  between  a  perfon  and  a  mode^ 
if  there  be  any  rational  idea  included  in  the  term, 
they  who  confider  **  the  manifeji  Wifdom,  and  the 
^^  ABive  E?2ergy  of  Deity,  as  the  WORD  and 
''  the  HOLY  GHOST,"  may  with  good  ap- 
pearance  of  reafon  be  admitted  as  coming  within 
the  fame  defcription. — And  they  who  talk  of 
three  diJllnBions  in  Deity,  without  any  .definition 
of  the  term,  have  little  reafon  to  cenfure  fuch  as 
in  fa6l  equally  maintain  three  difti nations,  but 
with  a  determinate  meaning. 

As  to  thofe  who  ufe  the  common  Trinitarian 
language  in  the  Sabellian  fenfe  (which  upon 
a  clofe  enquiry  I  have  found  to  be  the  cafe  with 
fome,  and  have  reafon  to  think  it  fo  with  many) 
they  have  little  reafon  to  cry  out  "  herefy**  at 
the  mode  of  interpretation  for  which  I  am  here 
apologizing. 

That  it  ihould,  by  any,  be  ftigmatized  with 
the  name  either  of  Socinianism  or  Arian- 
ISM,  appears  to  me  peculiarly  uncandid  and 
unjuft.  The  Anti-Nicene  Fathers  evidently 
adopted  this  hypothefis.  And  if  I  underftand 
the  great  reformer  Calvin  aright,  he  in  like  man- 
ner conceived  of  the  Word  and  Spirit  of 
God   as  the  Wisdom   and  Power    of  Deity 

personifiep^ 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts.        151 

PERSONIFIED.  The  pious  Mr.  Baxter  adopt- 
ed a  like  perfonification,  and  feverely  reproves 
thofe  orthodox  men  who  anathematize  them  that 
efpoLife  fuch  a  mode  of  explaining  the  Trinity.* 
Certain  it  is  that  Socinians  rejed:  fuch  kind  of 
lanr^-uap-e,  and  difavow  the  notion  of  a  Trinity  in 
any  form  ;  not  now  to  fay  any  thing  of  the 
citone??iej7ty  which  they  univerfally  deny,  but 
Avhich  thofe  I  am  defending  as  flrenuoufly  main- 
tain. 

As  to  Arlansy  properly  fo  called,  if  I  have 
any  idea  of  their  fentiments,  they  confider  the 
Logos ^xiA.  ih^Holy  Spirit  as  created  beings,^ 
which  I  think,  with  Dr.  Watts^  is  an  error,  moft 
jnanifeftly  repugnant  to  fcripture-doftrine. 

It  is  true.  Dr.  Watts  maintained  the  Ma7i 
Chrijl  Jefus  to  have  been  a  created  being.  But 
if  on  that  account  his  followers  are  juftly  char- 
ged with  herefy,  I  know  not  who  will  be  ex- 
empt ;  for  I  fuppofe  all  will  allow  that  Chrift 
was  properly  man,  and  as  fuch  created.  Some, 
K  4  indeed, 

•  See  Baxfer^s  works,  vol.  ii.  p.  132.  Where,  though  he  fays  th^t  he 
••  accounts  the  do6>rii.e  of  the  Trinity  the  fum  and  kerne!  of  the  Chriftian 
religion,  and  the  Aihanafian  Creed  the  beft  explication  of  it,"  he  pleads 
'*  for  the  notion  of  *«  three  effcntial  principles  j'*  ard  after  iliuftrating  the 
matter  by  various  obje6^s  in  nature,  he  obfervs  that  **  the  Icripture  often 
calls  Chrifl  the  WifJom  of  God,  and  Aoyoq  {Logos)  is  both  Ratio  (reafon) 
and  Oraiio  (fpeech).  And  that  fome  think  the  Hcly  Ghofi  given  to  be- 
lievers means  Lo've  to  God,  Sec,  He  then  adds  ihe  following  pafHige  : 
•'  Abundance  of  Heretics  have  troubled  the  church  with  their  felf-devifed 
*'  opwiious  about  the  Trinity,  and  the  perfon  and  n'lture  of  Chrift.  And 
*'  I  am  loth  to  fay,  how  much  many  of  the  orthodox  have  troubled  it  alfo, 
*'  with  iheir  felf-conceited,  mifguided,  uncharitable  zeal,  againft  thoie 
**  whom  they  judged  Heretics. — I  would  ?dvife  the  reader  to  be  none  of 
••  them  that  fnall  charge  with  herefv  all  thofe  who  fay  lliat  the  three  perforg 
*«  are  Deus  feipfum  wtellige^is.  Deus  afeipfo  intellc^us,  etXDetts  a  je\pf9 
«•  amatui  (tho  I  am  not  one)  nor  yet  thofe  holy  men  whom  I  have  ci- 
*'  tfd,— and  many  others,  who  extuefslv  fay,  that  Poientla,  Siuptentia,  et 
^' Amor^  (Power,  Wifdom,  and  Love)  are  ^he  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
«'  Ghoft." 


1^2       Memoirs  of  Dr.  Watts. 

indeed,  maintain  that  he  was  a  human  person, 
as  really  as  any  other  man  is  fo ;  and  on  this 
ground  deny  that  his  Divinity  was  a  real  perfon^ 
diftind:  from  that  of  the  Father  (for  othervvife 
there  would  be  TWO  persons  in  Chrift  ;)  while 
others  flrangely  and  arbitrarily  fuppofe  (to  avoid 
this  laft  abfurdity)  that  the  method  of  Chrift  was 
merely  a  created  nature.  But  both  allow 
*'  the  Deity  of  Chrift  to  confift  in  the  union  of 
**  the  Godhead,  and  the  manhood,  in  the  perfon 
*'  of  Bjinanuely  fo  that  in  him  GOD  was  inaiiifefi 
in  thefieJhJ'  This  general  agreement  I  look  up- 
on as  all  that  is  effential  to  true  orthodoxy,  and 
^  fufficient  bond  of  union.  How  much  farther 
chriftian  charity  may  fafely  extend,  it  is  not  my 
prefent  bufinefs  to  enquire.  I  will  only  obferve, 
that  they  who  have  inveftigated  fubjedts  of  doc- 
trinal controverfy  with  the  greateft  care  and  im- 
partiality, will  be  the  moft  ready  to  confefs,  that 
there  are  difficulties  on  all  fides,  where  the  fcrip- 
ture  has  not  explicitly  decided ;  and  will  fee  the 
greateft  reafon  for  diffidence  of  themfelves,  and 
candour  towards  one  another.  Thefe  are  two 
principal  leflbns  which  I  have  learned  from  the 
ftudy  of  more  than  thirty  years,  and  thefe  I  am 
principally  felicitous  to  inculcate  upon  others. 
If  this  publication  fliould  in  any  degree  contri- 
bute to  anfwer  this  end,  I  fhall  be  thankful,  even 
though  it  fiiould  expofe  me  to  the  cenfures  of 
fome  good  men  to  whofe  efteem  I  am  by  no 
means  indifferent,  though  their  charity  is  much 
more  confined  than  my  own ;  and  whom,  what- 
ever they  may  think  or  fay  of  me,  I  will  love 
and  honour. 


MEMOIRS 

OF      THE 

Life,  Character,  and  Writings 


O  F 


Dr.  PHILIP  DODDRIDGE. 


T 


HE  family  from  which  Dr.  Doddridge 
defcended  appears  to  have  been  originally  fettled 
in  Devon  (hire.  No  memoirs  of  it,  however, 
are  capable  of  being  traced  farther  back  than  to 
his  great  grandfather,  whofe  name  was  Richard, 
and  who  was  an  eminent  merchant  at  Barnfta- 
ple,  in  that  county.  Of  his  great  grandfather 
we  are  not  told  whether  he  was  a  gentleman  who 
lived  upon  his  eftate,  or  whether  he  was  of  any 
particular  profeflion.  That  the  family  was  an« 
cient,  is  evinced  by  its  arms  ;  and  that  it  was  of 
fome  confequence,  is  apparent  from  the  liberal 
education,  and  the  refpcdable  fituations,  of  fuch 
of  the  members  of  it  as  have  not  been  configned 

to 


154     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

to  oblivion.  John  Doddridge,  brother  of  the 
Dodor's  great  grandfather,  was  of  no  fmall  dif- 
tindion  in  the  Jaw  ;  pafled  through  feveral  em- 
inent ftages  of  it,  in  the  reign  of  King  James 
the  Firft;  received  the  honour  of  knighthood  ; 
and  at  length  rofe  to  be  one  of  the  Judges  of  the 
Court  of  King's  Bench.  An  account  of  him 
will  be  given  below.* 

Another 


*  This  John  Doddridge,  one  of  the  fons  of  the   Richard  Doddridge 
above  mentioned,  was  born  at  Barnftaplc,   in  the  year  1555.     In  1572  he 
was  entered  of  Exeter  College,  Oxford,  where  he  ftudied  tour  years,  afrer 
which  he  was  removed  to  the  Middle  Temple,  London,  where  be  becama 
a  great  proficient  in  the  law,  and  a  noted  couniellor.     In    the  forty- fifth 
year  of  the  reign  of  Q^^een  Elizabeth,  he  was  Lent  Reader  of  that  houle  ; 
and  on  the  twentieth  of  January  1603-4,  he  was  called  to  the  degree  of 
Serjeant  at  Law.     At  the  fame  time  he  had  the  honour  of  being  appointed 
Serjeant  to  Henry  Prince  of  Wales.     From  this  employment  he  was  raif- 
ed,  in  the  fucceeding  year,  to  be  Soliicitor-General  to  the  King  ;   though 
his  name  does  not  occur,  under  that  capacity,  in  Mr.  B  "atfon's  Polifical 
Index,     ©n  the  twenty-fifth  of  June,  1607,  he  wrts  conftituted  his  Ma* 
jefty's  Principal   Serjeant  at  Law,   and  was  knighted  on  the  fifth   of  July 
following.     In  February  1612-13,  he  was  created  Matter  of  Arts,  at  his 
chambers  in  Serjeants'  Inn,  by  the  Vice  Chancellor,    the  two  PiuClors, 
and  five  other  members  of  the  Univerfity  of  Oxford.     This  peculiar  honor 
was  conferred   upon  him  in  gratitude  for  the  great  (ervice  he  had  done  to 
the  Univerfity,  in  feveral  law-fuits  depending  between  the  city  of  Oxford 
and  the  faid  Univerfity.     On  the  twenty-fecond  of  April,  1613,  Sir  John 
Doddridge  was  appointed  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  King's  Bench, 
in  which  office  he  continued  till  his  death.     In  this  ftaiion  he  appears  to 
have  conduced    himfelf  with  great  integrity  as  well   as  ability.     How- 
ever, in  April,  1628,    he  and   the  other  Judges  of  the  court  were  called 
upon  to  afllgn  their  reafons  in  the  Houfe  of  Lords,  for  having  given  judg- 
ment againlf   admitting  five  gentlemen. to  bail,  who  had  been  imprifoned 
for  refufing  the  loan  which  had  lately  been  demanded  by  the  crown.     Sir 
Nicholas  Hyde,    Lord  Chief  Juftice,  Sir  John    Doddridge,   Mr.    Juftice 
Jones,  and  Mr.  Juftice  Whitiocke,  each  of  them  fpoke  upon  the  occafion, 
and  made  the  belt  defence  which  the  nature  of  the  cafe  would  admit.     If 
they  were  guilty  of  a  miftake,  which  cannot  now  reafonabiy   be  doubted, 
they  feemto  have  been  led  into  it  in  the  fincerity  of  their  hearts,  from  the 
high  notions  they  entertained  of  regal    power.     Sir  John   Doddridge,    in 
his  fpeech,  aflferts  the  purity  of  his  own  ch3ra6ler  in  the  following  terms  : 
**  It  is  no  more  fit  for  a  Judge  to  decline  to  give  an  account  of  his  doings, 
**  than   for  a  Chrifiian  of  his  faith.     GOD  knoweth  I  have  endeavoured 
*'  always  to  keep  a  good  confcience  i   for  a  troubled  one   who  c.in  bear  ? 
*'  I  have  now  fat  in  this  coyrt  fifteen  years,  and  I  fhould  know  fomething. 
*♦  Surely,  if  I  had  gone  In  a  mill  fo  long,  duft  vvouid  cleave  to  my  clothes.. 

*^Iaai 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.      155 

Another  John  Doddridge  (whether  a  fon,    or 
only  a  near  relation  of  the  Judge,  cannot  now  be 
afcertained)  was  likewife  brought  up  to  the  fame 
profeflion  3  and  became  a  Counfellor  of  the  Mid- 
dle 


**  I  am  old,  and  have  one  foot  in  the  grave  ;  therefore  I  will  look  to  the 
*'  better  part  as  near  as  I  can.  But  omnia  habere  in  7ne?noria,  ei  in  nnllo 
^^  err  are  ^  di'vinum  poiius  eft  quam  hmnanum.''''  Sir  John  Doddridge  de- 
parted this  life  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  September,  1628,  in  the  feventy- 
third  year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried  in  ihe  ambulatory  before  the  door 
of  the  library  formerly  called  Lady  Mary's  Chapel,  in  the  cathedral  church 
of  Exeter.  Within  that  library  is  a  very  furrptuous  monument  ereiSled  to 
his  memory,  containing  his  figure  and  that  of  hi$  wife,  cut  in  alabarter, 
Xinder  a  ftately  arch  fupported  by  raarble  pillais.  This  learned  Judge, 
by  his  happy  education,  accompanied  with  excellent  natural  parts  and  un- 
remitted induftry,  became  fo  general  a  fcholar,  that  it  was  faid  of  him, 
that  it  was  difficult  to  determine  whether  he  were  the  better  Arti!l,  Divine, 
civil  or  common  Lawyer.  Among  his  other  ftudies,  he  was  a  great  lover 
of  antiquities,  and  attained  to  fuch  an  eminence  of  knowledge  and  fkill 
in  that  department  of  literature,  that  he  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  ableft 
members  of  the  f:.mous  Society  of  Antiquaries,  which  may  be  faid  to 
have  begun  in  1571,  but  which  more  parncuiarly  flouriflr.d  from  1590  to 
1614.  The  following  works  were  written  by  Sir  John  Doddridge,  i. 
**  The  Lawyer's  Light,  or  due  Direilion  for  the  biudy  of  the  Law." 
London,  1629,  quarto,  z.  *'  A  complete  Parfon,  or  a  Defcription  of 
Advowfons  and  Church  Livings,  delivered  in  fevera!  Readings,  in  an  Inn 
of  Chancery  called   the  New  Inn."     Printed  1602,    1603,   1630,  quarto. 

3.  *♦  The  Uiftoryof  the  Ancient  and  Modern  Eltate  of  the  Principality 
of  Wales,  Duchy  of  Cornwall,  and  Earldom  of  Cheftcr."   1630,  quarto. 

4.  *'  TheEnglilh  Lawyer,  aTreatifcdefcribing  a  Method  forthemanagifig 
of  the  Laws  of  this  Lsnd,  and  exprelTing  the  belt  Qr^alities  requifite  in  the 
Student,  Pra6lifer,  Judge'^,  &c."  London,  163  f,  quarto.  5.  "  Opinion 
touching  the  Antiquity,  Power,  Order,  btate.  Manner,  Pcrfons,  and 
Proceedings,  of  the  High  Courts  of  Pariianient  in  England."  London, 
3658,  octavo.  6.  "  A  Treaiife  of  particular  Ertates."  London,  1677, 
duodecimo.  Printed  at  the  end  of  the  fourth  edition  of  William  Noy's 
Works,  entitled,  <' The  Ground  and  Maxims  of  the  Law."  7.  «' A 
true  Reprefentation  of  fore-pafied  Parliaments  to  the  View  of  the  prefent 
Times  and  Polterity."  This  Hill  remains  in  manuicript.  Sir  John  Dod- 
dridge alfo  enlarg'ed  a  book  called  the  '•'  Magazine  of  Honour  j"  Lon- 
don, 164.2.  The  fame  bo.k  was  afterwards  publifhed  imder  his  name  by 
the  Title  of'*  The  Law  of  Nobility  and  Peerage  j"  London,  1657,  1658, 
cilavo.  In  the  CoJledtion  ofcuiious  Difcouries  written  by  eminent  An- 
tiquaries, are  two  Difiertations  by  our  Judge  j  one  of  which  is  on  the  Di- 
menfions  of  the  Land  cf  England,  and  die  other  on  the  Office  and  Duty 
of  Heralds  in  the  couniry.f 

f  CoileSIion  of  curious  Difcoiirfes  nvritten  by  pminrnt  Arttqvaries,  Fol. 
U.  p.  432,433.  Ibid.  Vol.  I.  ;).4»— 42.  163—167.  mod's  Athena 
OxoniFtifs,  Vol.  1.  Col.  519,  520.  Beatfbns  PclzticAl  hidsx,  Fd.  I.  p.  405, 
Parliiu?i(ntary  Hiforj^  f'ol,  HI  J.  p.  i~i. 


156     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

die  Temple,  Recorder  of  Barnftaple,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  long  Parliament.  From  a  circum- 
ftance  related  concerning  him,  of  his  being 
fecluded  from  the  houfe,  with  fome  otlier  mem- 
bers, in  December  164.8,  becaufe  certain  matters 
were  to  be  debated  concerning  them,  there  is 
reafon  to  believe  that  he  might  be  obnoxious  to 
the  then  ruling  party,  on  account  of  his  not  be- 
ing willing  to  concur  with  them  in  all  their 
meafures."^  Philip  Doddridge,  an  uncle  of  the 
Doctor's,  was  alfo  bred  to  the  law,  and  difcharg- 
ed,  for  many  years,  the  important  truft  of  Stcw- 
-ard  to  the  noble  and  wealthy  family  of  Ruffel, 
under  William  the  fifth  Earl,  and  firll  Duke  of 
Bedford.  Our  author's  grandfather,  whofe  name 
was  John,  was  educated  for  the  church,  in  the 
Univerfity  of  Oxford^  and  was  pofTeffed  of  the 
reftoryof  Sheperton,  in  the  county  of  Middlefex, 
from  which  he  wasejededon  the  twenty-fourth 
ofAuguft,  1662,  in  confequence  of  the  ad  of 
uniformity.  At  that  time  he  had  ten  children 
unprovided  for  ;  notwithftanding  which,  he 
quitted  a  benefice  that  was  worth  two  hundred 
pounds  a  year,  rather  than  he  would  violate  his 
confcience,  by  fubmltting  to  the  fubfcriptions 
and  declarations  required,  and  the  ufages  impo- 
fed  by  that  a6t.  Dr.  Calamy  has  recorded  con- 
cerning him.,  that  he  was  an  ingenious  man,  a 
fcholar,  an  acceptable  preacher,  and  a  very  peace- 
able divine.  From  his  funeral  fermon,  it  ap- 
pears that  he  had  preached,  in  the  latter  part  of 

his 


•  Collection  of  curioTis  Difcnurfes  written  by  eminent  Antiquaries, 
Vol.  H.  }>.  431.  Wo'jd's  Attieiias  Oxonienlcs,  Vol.  I.  Col.  519, 
WhitcJock's  Memorials,  p.  360. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     157 

his  life,  to  a  con;2:regation  at  or  near  Brentford, 
and  that  he  died  fuddenly,  in  1689,  much  re- 
lpe<fted  and  beloved  by  his  people. "^ 

Daniel  Doddridge,  the  Dodtor^s  father,  was 
brought  up  to  trade,  and  fettled  as  an  oilman, 
in  the  city  of  London.  Being  the  eldeft  fur- 
viving  branch  of  the  family,  he  was  heir  at  law 
to  the  lar^e  eftate  of  the  Tuds^e  (about  two  thou  - 
fand  pounds  a  year)  and  was  often  urged  by  his 
friends  to  purfue  the  recovery  of  it,  but  he  chofc 
to  decline  doing  it,  from  an  appreheniion  of  the 
liazard  and  expenfe  that  would  attend  the  at- 
tempt. He  had  a  great  number  of  children,  all 
of  whom  died  young,  excepting  one  daughter, 
and  our  author.  The  Dodor  was  the  laft  and 
twentieth  child  of  his  fuher*s  marriage.  His 
mother  was  the  daughter  of  the  Reverend  Mr. 
John  Bauman,  of  Prague  in  Bohemia  ^  who,  in 
confequence  of  the  troubles  which  followed  the 
ex'puliion  of  Frederic,  Elector  Palatine,  left  his 
native  country  about  the  year  1626.  Such  was 
his  adherence  to  the  Proteftant  religion,  that, 
for  the  lake  of  enjoying  the  free  excrcife  of  it,  he 
quitted  all  his  friends,  and  the  polTeiricn  of  a 
confiderable  eftate.  He  withdrew,  on  foot,  in 
the  habit  of  apeafant,  carrying  with  him  nothing 
but  a  hundred  broad  pieces  of  gold,  plaited  in  a 
leathern  girdle,'|'  and  a  Bible  of  Luther's  tranf- 

lation. 

•  Orton's  Memoirs  of  the  Life,  Chara^er,  and  Writings,  of  the  late 
Kcverend  Phihp  Doddridge,  D.  D.  p.  i — 4,  fecond  edition.  Calamy's 
Abridoment,  Vol.  II.  p.  466. 

f  Mr.  Baumnn,  the  firft  night  affer  he  commenced  his  journey,  left 
his  girdle  behind  h<m  at  the  inn  in  which  he  'ay  ;  and  not  being  ufed  tn 
fuch  a  cinc>ure,  he  did  not  mifs  it  tiii  he  came  to  another  inn  the  next 
;v5nin2.     Upoo  this  he  immediuuiy  svent  back  lo  his  former  lodgings, 

with 


158     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

lation.  Having  fpent  Tome  time  at  Saxe-Gotba, 
and  in. other  parts  of  Germany,  he  came  to  Eng- 
land, in  what  year  is  uncertain,  with  ample  tef- 
timonials  from  many  of  the  principal  German 
divines.  Being  thus  ftrongly  recommended,  he 
was  made  Mafler  of  the  Free  School  at  King- 
fton-upon-Tames,  at  which  place  he  died,  leav- 
ing behind  him  one  only  child,  the  daughter  be- 
fore mentioned,  then  very  young. 

Dr.  Philip  Doddridge  was  born  in  London, 
on  the  twenty-fixth  of  June,  1702.  So  defti- 
tute  was  he,  at  his  birth,  of  the  figns  of  life, 
that  he  was  throv/n  afide  as  dead.  One,  how- 
ever, of  the  attendants,  thinking  that  fhe  per- 
ceived fome  motion  or  breath  in  him,  cheriihed 
with  fuch  affiduous  care  the  almoft  expiring 
flame  of  exiftence,  that  it  was  happily  preferved, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  world.  From  his  infancy 
young  Doddridge  had  an  infirm  conftitution,  and 
a  thin  confumptive  habit,  which  rendered  both 
himfelf  and  his  fiiends  apprehenfiye  that  his  life 
would  be  jfiiort.  He  frequently  was  accuftomed 
therefore,  efpecially  on  the  returns  of  his  birth- 
day, 

with  the  united  painful  apprehenGon  of  being  met  by  purfuers,  and  of  not 

having  the  good  fortune  to  tecovtr  his  fuhftsnce.  When  he  arrived  at  the  inn, 
he  enquired  of  the  chambermaid  if  fhe  had  feen  a  girdle  which  he  had  Icfc 
in  his  chamber.  Slie  informed  him  that  fhe  had  feen  it,  but  that,  imagin- 
ing it  to  be  of  no  v^lue,  fhe  had  thrown  it  away,  and  could  not  recol- 
Jeik  where.  After  having  told  her  thu  he  h^d  a  great  value  for  his  old 
bell,  that  it  would  be  very  iifeful  to  him  in  the  long  journey  he  had  be- 
fore him,  and  that  he  would  handfumely  reward  her  for  finding  it,  flie 
fearched  diligently,  and  at  length  found  it  in  a  hole  under  the  (lairs, 
where  the  family  ufcd  to  throw  their  worn  out  ufelefs  furniture.  The 
good  man  received  his  g;ird!c  with  great  joy,  and  purfued  his  journey  with 
thankfiilnefs  to  Providence  for  the  recovery.  This  event  he  often  fpuke 
of  to  his  friends,  as  an  cxtraordinajy  and  feafonable  mercy. f 

t  Ortons  Memoirs  of  the  Lifct  Character,  and  Writings  of  ibs  ReveT' 
endrhilip  Doddridge,  I).  D,  p,  4.    5,  vote^fecandeditign. 


Memcirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     159 

dav,  to  exprefs  his  v/onder  and  gratiude  that  his 
years  were  io  long  continued.  His  parents, 
whofe  character  was  w^orthy  of  their  birth  and 
education,  brought  him  up  in  the  early  know- 
ledge of  religion.  Before  he  could  read,  his 
mother  taught  him  the  hiftory  of  the  Old  and 
New  Teilament,  by  the  afiiftance  of  fome  Dutch 
tiles  in  the  chimney  of  the  room  where  they 
ufually  fat  -,  and  accompanied  her  inftrucftions 
with  fuch  wife  and  pious  reflediions,  as  made 
ftrong  and  lafting  impreiTions  upon  his  heart. 
His  firfl:  initiation  in  the  learned  languages  was 
under  Mr.  Scott,  a  minifler,  who  kept  a  private 
fchool  in  London.  In  171 2,  when  he  was  tea 
years  of  age,  he  was  removed  to  Kingfton-upon- 
Thames,  and  placed  at  the  fchool  which  had 
been  taught  by  his  grandfather  Bauman.  Here 
he  continued  till  171 5,  and  diftinguifoed  him- 
felf  by  his  piety  and  his  diligent  application  to 
literature.  On  the  fcventeenth  of  July,  in  the 
fame  year,  he  had  the  unhappinefs  of  lofing  his 
father  ;  and  he  had  been  deprived  of  his  mother 
fometime  before.  This  circumftance,  of  his  be- 
ing left  an  orphan,  excited  in  him  very  ferious 
reflections,  which,  however,  were  not  vvdiolly  of 
a  gloomy  nature  j  for  he  expreffed  a  devout,  and 
even  a  cheerful  truft  in  the  protedllon  of  the 
God  of  Mercies,  the  univerial  Parent  of  man- 
kind. 

About  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  Mr. 
Doddridge  quitted  Kingfton,  and  was  removed 
to  a  private  fchool  at  St.  Alban's,  under  ths  care 
of  a  v/orthy  and  learned  mafter,  Pvlr.  Nathaniel 
Wood.     At  this  town  he   had  not  only  the  ad- 


vantage 


i6o     Memoirs  oi^  Dr.  Doddridgs. 

vantage  of  receiving  excellent  inftrudion,  but 
was  peculiarly  happy  in  forming  an  acquaintance 
with  a  gentleman  to  whom  he  owed  the  higheil 
obligations,  and  who  behaved  to  him  with  the 
kindnefs  of  a  parent.  The  gentleman  we  fpeak 
of  was  Mr.  (afterwards  Dr.)  Samuel  Clark,  the 
diflenting  minifler  of  the  place.  What  rendered 
Mr.  Clark's  regard  and  protection  particularly 
feafonable,  was  a  calamity  that  befell  Mr.  Dod- 
dridge with  refpedt  to  his  private  fortune.  By 
the  mifmanagement  of  the  perfon  into  whofe 
hands  the  care  of  his  affairs  had  been  entrufted 
after  his  father's  death,  he  loft  the  whole  of  his 
fubftance.  In  this  melancholy  iituation,  he 
found  a  ready  beneta(ftor  in  Mr.  Clark ;  and  had 
not  Providence  raikd  him  up  fuch  a  generous 
friend,  he  could  not  have  proceeded  in  the  courfe 
of  his  ftudies. 

During  Mr.  Doddridge's  refidence  at  St.  Al- 
ban's,  he  began  to  keep  a  diary  of  his  life  ;  from 
which  it  appears  how  diligently  he  improved  his 
time,  and  how  anxious  he  was  to  be  daily  advan- 
cing in  knowledge,  piety,  virtue,  and  ufefulnefs. 
As  he  had  the  chriftian  miniftry  in  view,  bcfides 
his  application  to  the  languages,  he  read,  every 
morning  and  evening,  portions  of  fcripture,  with 
fome  commentary  upon  them ;  and  it  was  very 
feJdom  indeed,  that  he  permitted  either  his  fchool 
bufinefs,  or  any  avocations  or  amufements,  to 
divert  him  from  this  courfe.  He  recorded  the 
fubftance  and  deiien  of  the  fermons  he  heard,  to- 
gether  with  the  impreffions  which  they  made 
upon  him,  and  particularly  noted  what  was  xnoik 
Worthy  of  imitation   in  the  preacher.     In  thefe 

important 


MSMOIKS    O?    Vt.    Doi>DIlIDG2.       t6| 

important  concerns  hz  had  the  fingular  felicity 
of  enjoying  the  diredtion  of  fo  kind  and  experi- 
enced a  friend  as  Mr.  Clark.  Under  the  inftruc- 
tions,  and  by  the  encouragement  of  the  fame 
gentleman,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per ;  and  his  own  reliedtions  on  the  occafion^ 
preferved  in  his  diary^  amply  fhew  the  feriouf- 
nefs  of  his  fpirit  in  that  early  part  of  life. 

In  the  year  171 8,  Mr.  Doddridge  left  the 
fchool  at  St.  Alban's,  and  retired  for  a  timcj  to 
his  fifter's  houfe^*  with  a  view  of  cbnfidering 
his  future  profefTion.  Strong  a^  the  bent  of  his 
inclination  was  to  the  miniftry,  he  had  little  prof- 
ped:,  from  the  narrownefs  of  his  circumilances, 
of  being  able  to  carry  his  w^ifhes  into  execution „ 
Whilft  he  was  in  this  ftate  of  fufpence,  theDuch- 
efs  of  Bedford,  who  had  a  regard  for  his  family,, 
hearing  of  his  fituation  and  charadter,  and  of  his 
warm  inclination  to  ftudy,  made  him  an  offer, 
that,  if  he  chofe  to  be  educated  for  the  church  of 
England,  and  would  go  to  either  of  the  Univer- 
fities,  fhe  would  fupport  the  expenfes  df  his  edu- 
cation, and  afterwards  provide  for  him,  if  fhe 
fhould  live,  till  he  had  taken  orders.  This  pro- 
pofal  he  received  with  the  higheft  gratitude,  but 
declined  it  in  the  moft  refpedtful  manner^  as  he 
could  not  fatisfy  his  confcience  in  complying 
with  the  terms  of  minifterial  conformity,  Iii 
L  the 


•  His  fifter  was  mnrried  to  Mr.  John  Nettiefcni  a  diftentlng  minliler  a* 
Ongir,  in  ElTcx.  She  was  a  lady  diltinoiniJied  by  her  goud  knie  and 
piety,  and  by  the  patience  ar.d  tranq-jiliity  witH  which  Hie  i)o>e  forne  heavy 
afiiidlons.  Her  brcther  alw:^ys  bcliaved  to  her  with  the  utm  )!t  teudernefs  | 
and  even  while  at  the  acadfniy,  ant!  in  hisfir-V  fett'oussnt,  generoully  con- 
tributed all  that  he  could  Ipare  out  of  his  i'maU  ftbck.  for  her  s.fliIUnc€.-*- 

f  Orfortf  uH/uj^ra,  p.  4,  note. 


ii62    Memoirs  of  Dk.  Doddridge. 

mc  diftrefs  of  his  mind,  from  an  appt*ehenfion 
that  he  fhould  not  be  able  to  accomplilh  what 
was  fo  near  to  his  heart,  he  waited  upon  Dr.  Ed- 
mund Calamy,  a  divine  of  great  eminence  among 
the  diffenters  at  that  period,  and  entreated  his 
advice  and  affiftance  towards  his  being  brought 
up  for  the  miniftry.  But  in  this  application  he 
met  with  no  encouragement.  The  Doctor  en- 
deavoured to  diffuade  him  from  his  defign,  and 
xirged  him  to  betake  himfelf  to  fome  other  pro- 
feflion.  Diflieartened  by  fo  many  obftrudions 
and  difficulties,  he  at  length  entertained  thoughts 
of  entering  upon  the  ftudy  of  the  law,  in  which 
defign  he  was  encouraged  by  Mr.  Horfeman,  a 
celebrated  conveyancer,  who  recommended  him 
to  Mr.  Eyre,  a  counfellor,  from  whom  he  re- 
ceived fuch  good  propofals,  that  he  was  on  the 
point  of  complying  with  them.  However,  pre- 
vioufly  to  his  final  determination,  he  devoted  one 
morning  folemnly  to  feek  to  God  for  direftion ; 
and  whilft  he  was  actually  engaged  in  this  pious 
exercife,  the  poftman  knocked  at  the  door  with 
a  letter  from  Mr.  Clark,  containing  an  offer  to 
take  him  under  his  care,  if  he  chofe  the  minif- 
try upon  Chriftian  principles.  With  what 
thankful nefs  he  embraced  the  offer,  will  appear 
from  his  own  words  in  his  diary.  '*  This,*' 
fays  he,  ^'  I  look  upon  almoft  as  an  anfwer  from 
*'  heaven  5  and,  while  I  live,  fhall  always  adore 
*^  fo  feafonable  an  interpofition  of  divine  Provi- 
**  dence.  I  have  fought  God's  diredlion  in  all 
*'  this  matter,  and  I  hope  I  have  had  it.  My 
^'  only  view  in  my  choice  hath  been  that  of 
**  more  extenfive  fervice  ;  and  I  beg  God  would. 

*'  make 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.      163 

*'  make  me   an  inftrument  of  doing  much  good 
*'  in  the  world."* 

Mr.  Doddridge  returned  to  St.  Alban's,  in 
confequence  of  Mr.  Clark's  propolal,  and  con- 
tinued fome  months  at  the  houfe  of  that  gene- 
rous friend,  who  direded  him  in  his  fludies, 
furnlfhed  him  with  proper  books,  and  laboured 
to  cherifli  religious  difpofitions  and  views  in  his 
heart.  In  October,  1719,  he  was  placed  under 
the  tuition  of  the  Reverend  John  Jennings,  who 
kept  an  academy  at  Kib worth,  in  Leicefterfliire, 
and  was  a  gentleman  of  great  learning,  piety,  and 
ufefulnefs.  Mr.  Jennings  was  the  author  of 
*^  Two  Difcourfes  on  Preaching  Chrift,  and 
particular  and  experimental  Preaching,"  firfl 
printed  in  1723,  which  were  fo  much  efleemed 
that  they  were  recommended  by  two  Bifl^.ops  at 
their  vilitations  of  their  clergy,  and  tranflated  in- 
to the  German  language,  by  order  of  Dr.  Franks 
Profeilor  of  Divinity  at  Hall,  in  Saxony.  A  fe- 
cond  edition  of  them  appeared  in  1736,  under 
the  care  of  Mr.  Jennings's  brother j  Dr.  David  Jen- 
nings, who  was  for  many  years  an  eminent  min- 
ifter  and  tutor  in  London.  Mr.  John  Jennings 
publifhed  likewife,  *'  A  genealogical  table  of  the 
Kings  of  England,  Scotland,  and  France,  for  the 
fpace  of  nine  hundred  years."  Under  the  tuition 
of  this  gentleman,  for  whom  Mr.  Doddridge  had 
the  higheft  veneration  and  refpedl,  he  profecuted 
his  ftudies  with  thegreateft  ardour  and  diligence. 
Befides  attendino-  and  ftudvino:  the  academical 
ledlures,  and  reading  the  particular  parts  of  the 
authors  to  whom  his  tutor  referred  his  pupils 
L  2  for 

•  Orton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  4— j*» 


j6^     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridgi^- 

for  the  farther  illuftrntioii  of  the  fubjeds  treated 
upon,  he  had  in  one  half  year  read  fixty  books-, 
and  about  as  many  more  afterwards  in  the  fame 
proportion  of  time.  Some  of  thefe  were  large 
volumes,  fuch  as  Patrick's  Commentaries,  Til- 
lotfon's  Works,  and  mod  of  the  fermons  that 
had  been  preached  at  Boyle's  Led:ure.  All  the 
reft  were  learned  or  ufeful  treatifes.  Nor  was  it 
in  a  hafty  or  defultory  manner  that  thefe  books 
were  read  by  him,  but  with  great  attention  and 
clofe  ftudy.  Several  of  them  he  abridged  ;  and 
from  others  he  made  extracts,  which  were  in- 
ferted  in  his  common-place  book  ;  and  when  he 
found,  in  any  of  the  works  perufed  by  him,  a 
remarkable  interpretation  or  illuftration  of  a  text 
of  fcripture,  he  transferred  it  into  his  interleaved 
Teftament  or  Bible."* 

It  was  of  eminent  advantage  to  Mr.  Dod- 
dridge, that,  during  the  whole  of  his  academical 
courfe,  he  enjoyed  the  correfpondence  of  Mr. 
Clark.  From  fuch  of  this  gentleman's  letters 
as  have  ftill  been  preferved,  it  appears  that  his 
advices  to  his  young  friend,  whether  regarding 
his  religious  or  literary  improvements,  were  fig- 
iially  wife  and  judicious -j-  It  was  probably  in 
conformity  with  the  exhortations  of  Mr.  Clark, 
that  Mr.  Doddridge  made  it  his  bufmcfs  to  in- 
creafe  his  acquaintance  with  clafTical  learning. 
The  more  immediate  objeds  of  his  attention  were 
the  Greek  writers.  Thefe  he  not  only  read  with 
care,  but  wrote  obfcrvations  upon  them,  for  the  il- 
luftration of  theauthors  themfelvcs,  or  of  the  fcrip- 

tares  ; 

*  Oiton,  nbi  fnpra,  12 — 14.. 

t  Letters  to  and  Troro  ihe  Rev.  Philip  Doddridge,  D.  D.  p.  i — 14- 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     i6r 

tures;  andhefele6ted  fuchpr.lTagcsasmightbefer- 
viceable  to  him  in  his  preparations  for  the  puj-^ 
pit.  His  remarks  upon  Homer,  in  particular, 
were  fo  numerous,  that  they  would  muke  a  con- 
fiderable  volume.*  This  part  of  Mr,  Dod- 
dridge's condud  is  juftly  entitled  to  commenda- 
tion. By  forming  his  tafte  upon  the  great  mor 
dels  of  antiquity,  to  which  he  added  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  polite  writers  of  his  own  country, 
he  acquired  an  eafe  and  elegance  of  ftile  which 
he  would  not  otherwife  have  attained.  His  me- 
rit was  the  greater  in  this  refped:,  as  few  of  the 
diffenters  had  hitherto  cultivated  the  graces  of 
compofition,  and  perhaps  not  many  of  them  had 
excelled  even  in  the  perfpicuity  and  corredlnefs 
of  their  language.  It  is  delirable  that  the  caufe 
of  truth,  piety,  and  virtue,  fhouid  come  recom- 
mended with  every  poffible  advantage. 

While  Mr.  Doddridge  was  thus  laying  up  a 
large  ftore  of  folid  and  ornamental  knowledge, 
he  was  equally  intent  upon  cultivating  the  ex- 
cellencies of  the  chriftian  charadter.  For  this 
purpofe  he  drew  up  fome  rules  for  the  regula- 
tion of  his  temper  and  condudt,  which  he  in- 
fer ted  in  the  beginning  of  his  interleaved  New 
Teftament,  that,  by  a  frequent  review  of  them, 
they  might  have  the  greater  influence  on  the 
whole  of  his  behaviour.  They  are  very  ftrict  ; 
and  perhaps  more  ftri<fl  than  can  ordinarily  and 
univerfally  be  put  into  practice  ;  but  the  effcdt 
of  them  was  happy  on  himfelf,  and  an  attcntior; 
to  them  might  be  fignally  ufeful  to  others,  who 
L  3  have 

f  Often,  ubi  fcipra-,  p.  i^.. 


i66     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge^ 

have  the  fame  views  in  life.*  In  the  year  1722, 
Mr.  Jennings  removed,  w^ith  his  pupils,  from 
Kibworth  to  Hinckley,  at  which  place  Mr. 
Doddridge,  after  having  been  previoufly  examin- 
ed by  a  committee  of  minifters,  and  received  an 
ample  teftimonial  to  his  qualifications,  preached 
his  firft  fermon.  This  was  on  the  twenty- 
fecond  of  July  in  that  year.  As  he  was  but  lit- 
tle more  than  twenty  years  of  age,  his  friend  Mr. 
Clark  feemed  rather  apprehenfive  that  he  had  be- 
gun to  preach  too  foon  ;  but  he  acquiefced  in 
the  judgment  of  his  tutor,  grounded  on  the  ma^ 
t'lrity  of  Mr.  Doddridge's  abilities. f  From  his 
firft  appearance  in  the  pulpit,  he  was  remarkably 
acceptable  in  the  places  where  he  exercifed  his 
talents.  After  continuing  to  purfue  his  ftudies 
another  year,  he  accepted  of  an  invitation  from 
the  congregation  of  DifTenters  at  Kibworth.  At 
the  fame  time  he  had  an  application  from  the 
city  of  Coventry,  to  be  Affiftant  to  Mr.  Warren, 
Mr.  Clark  gave  the  preference  to  the  laft  offer, 
for  feveral  judicious  reafons  ;  notwithftanding 
which,  Mr.  Doddridge,  upon  mature  delibera- 
tion, made  choice  of  the  former  fituation.  His 
principal  motives  for  fo  doing  were  his  youth, 
and  the  opportunity  of  purfuing  his  ftudies  with 
little  interruption.  It  Was  in  June  1723,  that 
he  fettled  at  Kibworth.  As  the  congregation 
was  fmall,  and  he  lived  in  an  obfcure  village,  he 
could  devote  almoft  his  whole  time  to  the  farther 
acquifition  of  knowledge  and  learning  ;  and  thi; 

m  after  hi 
fettlement 


he  did  with  indefatigable  zeal.     Soon  after  his 


*  They  may  be  fern  in  Ortcn's  Memoirs,  p.  i5— i^. 
t  Orton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  20.    Doddridge's  Letter?,  p.  7. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     167 

fettlement  at  Kibworth,  one  of  his  fellow-pupils 
having  condoled  with  him,  in  a  letter,  on  his 
being  buried  alive,  he  returned  the  following  fen* 
fible  and  fpirited  anfwer  :  "  Here  I  ftick  clofe 
**  to  thofe  delightful  iludies  which  a  favourable 
^*  Providence  has  made  the  bufinefs  of  my  life. 
''One  day  pafleth  av/ay  after  another,  and  I  only 
*'  know  that  it  paffetli  pleafantly  with  me.  As 
*'  for  the  world  about  me,  I  have  very  little  con- 
*'  cern  with  it.  I  live  almoil  like  a  tortoife, 
^*  fhut  up  in  its  fhell,  almoft  always  in  the  fame 
**  town,  the  fame  houfe,  the  fame  chamber. 
**  Yet.  I  live  like  a  prince  ;  not  indeed  in  the 
^*  pomp  of  greatnefs,  but  the  pride  of  liberty  ; 
*'  mafter  of  my  booksp  mafter  of  my  time,  and, 
*'  I  hope  I  may  add,  mafter  of  myfelf.  I  can- 
**  willingly  give  up  the  charms  of  London,  the 
*'  luxury,  the  company,  and  the  popularity  of  it, 
*'  for  the  fecret  pleafures  of  rational  employm.ent 
*•  and  felf-approbation  ;  retired  from  applaufe 
*'  and  reproach,  from  envy  and  contempt,  and 
*'  the  deftrudive  baits  of  avarice  and  ambition. 
**  So  that,  inftead  of  lamenting  it  as  my  misfor- 
*'  tune,  you  (hould  congratulate  me  upon  it  as 
**  my  happinefs,  that  I  am  confined  to  an  ob- 
**  fcure  village  ;  feeing  it  gives  me  fo  many  val- 
**  uable  advantages,  to  the  moft  important  pur- 
*'  pofes  of  devotion  and  philofophy  ;  and  I  hope 
**  I  may  add  ufefulnefs  too/'*  It  is  with  pe- 
culiar pleafure  that  the  writer  of  the  prefent  nar- 
rative has  tranfcribed  this  paiTagc  ;  as  he  thinks 
that  he  has  reafon  to  refled,  with  fome  degree  of 
fatisfadtiqn,  that  the  fpending  of  a  number  of 
L  4  years 

9  Orton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  iq-^iz.     DoddiIdgi»'$  Letters,  p.  lo,  rx. 


j68     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

years  in  retired  fituations  may  be  favourable  to 
the  increafe  of  knowledge,  and  the  habits  of 
ftudy. 

Whilft  Mr.  Doddridge  lived  at  Kibworth, 
and  during  the  earh'er  years  of  his  miniflry,  he 
was  very  exadl  and  careful  in  his  preparations  for 
the  pulpit.  Both  his  fermons  and  expofitions 
were  the  refult  of  deep  attention  and  ftudy ;  and 
they  were  drav^n  up  with  exa(51:nefs  of  method, 
and  corre<£tnefs  and  elegance  of  ftile.  By  this 
means  he  con  trailed  a  habit  of  delivering  his  fen- 
timents  ufually  with  judgment,  and  always  with 
cafe  and  freedom  of  language,  when,  afterwards, 
he  was  obliged,  from  the  multiplicity  of  his  du- 
ties and  engagements,  principally  to  have  re- 
courfe  to  extempore  fpeaking.  Indeed,  except- 
ing when  he  was  called  out  on  particular  occa- 
fions,  the  period  I  have  now  fpecified  was  the 
time  in  which  Mr.  Doddridge  more  efpecially 
excelled  as  a  preacher.  When  I  was  a  ftudent 
under  him,  he  ufed  frequently,  on  a  Saturday 
evening,  to  read  in  the  academy,  the  fermons  he 
had  made  in  his  younger  years  ;  and  they  were 
much  admired  by  his  pupils,  as  containing  mo- 
dels for  their  imitation,  far  fuperior  to  thofe 
which  he  could  then  have  leifure  to  give  in  his 
ufual  Sunday  difcourfes.  One  thing  v^'hich  plea- 
fed  moil:  of  us  was,  that  thefe  fer-mons  had  lefs 
of  the  Calviniftical  drefs  of  expreflion  than  was 
adopted  by  him  after  his  fettlement  at  North- 
ampton. 

Befides  the  pains  which  Mr.  Doddridge  took 
to  acquaint  himfelf  with  controverfial  and  criti- 
cal theology,  he  was  in  the  continual  habit  of 

reading 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     169 

rcraling  deeply  and  ferioufly  the  writers  of  prac- 
tical divinity.  Aniong  thefe,  his  peculiar  fa- 
vorites were  Tillotfon,  Howe,  and  Baxter  ;*  and 
undoubtedly  they  are  authors  from  whom  the 
clergy  of  every  denomination  may  derive  the 
richeft  ftores  of  private  improvement  and  pubHc 
utility.  I  remember  to  have  heard  him  fpeak  of 
Barrow  w^ith  great  energy  of  commendation. 
Many  of  the  divines  of  the  latter  part  of  the  laft 
century  (among  whom  theChurch  of  England 
claims  the  larger  number)  were  incomparably 
excellent  for  the  high  fpirit  of  devotion,  the  ful- 
nefs  of  fentiment,  and  the  energy  and  copioufnefs 
of  ftile  ;  and  the  negledl  of  them  has  been  of  no 
advantage  to  m.odern  times. 

In  the  midft  of  Mr.  Doddridge's  ferious  pur- 
fuits,  he  did  not  difcontinue  his  regard  to  polite 
literature.  Having  been  early  acquainted  with 
the  French  tongue,  he  was  frequent  in  the  peru- 
fal  of  the  elegant  writers  of  that  nation.  He 
thought  that  many  of  them  were  poffeiTed  of 
very  great  genius,  and  he  applauded  them  as  in- 
timately acquainted  with  the  ancients,  thofe 
prime  mafters  of  eloquence  and  poetry.  Of  all 
their  dramatic  poets  he  met  with  none  whom 
he  admired  fo  much  as  Racine.  He  was  charm- 
ed with  the  pomp,  elegance,  and  harmony  of  his 
language,  as  well  as  with  the  majefty,  tendernefs, 
and  propriety  of  his  fentiments.  His  pieces,  in 
general,  for  the  ftage,  he  approved,  as  conducted 
with  a  wonderful  mixture  of  erandeur  and  fim- 
plicity,  which  fufficiently  diftinguiili  him  from 
the  dulnefs  of  fome  tragedians,  and  the  bombaft 

of 

^  Orton,  ubi,  fupra,  p.  S2. 


170     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

of  others.  Another  of  Mr.  Doddridge's  favour- 
ite authors  was  Fenelon,  Archbiihop  of  Cam- 
bray.  That  writer's  Refledlions  upon  Eloquence, 
in  particular,  he  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  moft 
judicious  performances  he  had  ever  feen.  Mr. 
Doddridge  was  not  equally  an  admirer  of  the 
French  fermons.  Thefe  he  judged  to  be  far  in- 
ferior to  thofe  of  our  Englifli  divines.  Bourda- 
loue's,  notwithftanding  the  high  eftimation  they 
have  been  held  in,  appeared  to  him  to  be  little 
better  than  empty  harangues.  Many  of  Cham- 
inais'  he  efteemed  to  be  good  5  but  of  all  which 
he  had  then  feen,  he  gave  the  preference  to  the 
difcourfes  of  Mr.  Superville,  the  Proteftant  di- 
vine at  Rotterdam.  ''  He  efpecially  excels," 
faid  Mr.  Doddridge,  in  a  letter  to  an  ingenious 
young  friend,  **  in  the  beauty  of  his  imagery, 
''  descriptions,  and  fimiles,  and  fome  of  the  moil 
*'  pathetic  expoftulations  I  ever  faw.  In  fhort, 
**  I  believe  he  is  perfectly  to  your  tafte  :  only 
**  there  is  one  thing  which  will  difpleafe  you  as, 
*^  much  as  it  did  me  ;  which  is,  that  many  of  his 
^^  arguments  are  very  inconclufive,  though  gen- 
*'  erally  as  good  as  high  Calvinifm  will  bear."* 
It  is  certain  that  Mr.  Doddridge  was  afterward^ 
particularly  pleafed  with  Saurin's  fermons,  and 
ftrongly  recommended  them  to  his  pupils. 
Whether  he  was  acquainted  with  Maflillon  is 
not  recolledled. 

While  Mr.  Doddridge  was  thus  folicitous  to 
enrich  his  mind  with  various  knowledge,  and 
to  qualify  himfelf  for  appearing  with  every  ad- 
vantage in  the  pulpit,  he  was  diligently   atten- 
tive 

•  Letters  to  znd  frc;m  the  Rev*  Dr,  Dodtlridge,  p.  s6,  27. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     171 

tive  to  the  private  duties  of  his  ftation.  He 
would  often  leave  his  ftudy,  to  vifit  and  inftrudt 
the  people  under  his  care.  In  his  manner  of 
converfation  he  was  careful  to  adapt  himfelf  to 
the  capacities  of  his  congregation,  which  confift- 
ed  chiefly  of  perfons  in  the  lower  ranks  of  life. 
This  objed,  likewife,  he  fcriouily  regarded  in  his 
public  difcourfes,  which,  while  they  were  judi- 
cious, and  frequently  elegant,  were,  at  the  fame 
time,  plain  and  eafy  to  be  underftood.  In  this 
happy  art  he  was  probably  not  a  little  affifted  by 
his  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  works  of  the 
excellent  Tillotfon,  which,  however  they  may 
now  be  ncgledled  by  a  faftidious  age,  will  al- 
ways deferve  to  be  mentioned  with  honour,  as 
having  eminently  contributed  to  the  introdudion 
of  a  rational  and  ufeful  method  of  preaching  in 
England.  Hov/  anxious  our  young  divine  was, 
to  difcharge  every  part  of  his  duty  as  a  chriftiaa 
minifler,  whether  in  or  out  of  the  pulpit,  with 
the  greateft  fidelity  and  zeal,  is  evident  fr@m  the 
copious  extradts  which  Mr.  Or  ton  has  given  from 
his  diary. ^ 

In  Odober,  1725,  Mr.  Doddridge  removed 
his  abode  to  Market- Harborough,  in  doing  which 
he  did  not  difcontinue  his  relation  to  the  people 
at  Kib worth.  He  preached  to  them  as  before, 
excepting  on  facrament  days,  when  his  place  was 
fupplied  by  Mr.  Some  of  Harborough,  w^ho  had 
taken  upon  him  the  pafloral  care  of  the  fmall 
fociety  at  Kibv/orth,  in  conjundion  with  his 
owa.  This  change  in  Mr.  Doddridge's  refi- 
dence  was  very  advantageous  to  him,   as  it  gave 

hi:u 

•  Qiton,  ubi  fopra,  p.  23—32. 


172     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge- 

him  an  opportunity  of  nearer  converfe  and  inti^ 
macy  with  a  gentleman,  to  whom  he  had  been 
under  early  obligations,  and  who,  next  to  Mr. 
Clark,  was,  perhaps,  the  bcft  friend  he  had  ever 
experienced.  Mr.  Some  was  a  perfon  of  uncom- 
mon piety,  zeal,  prudence,  and  fagacity.  In- 
deed he  appears  to  have  been  the  prime  ornament 
among  the  diflen ting  minifters  in  that  part  of  the 
kingdom.  For  the  memory  of  this  excellent 
rnan,  who  died  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  May, 
1737,  Mr.  Doddridge  always  maintained  the 
mofi:  afFedtionate  regard,  which  he  ftrongly  tefli- 
fied  on  feveral  occalions.  He  publifhed,  in  par- 
ticular, fome  years  after  Mr.  Some's  deceafe,  a 
judicious  tradt  that  had  been  written  by  him  on 
the  fubjedt  of  inoculation,  for  the  purpofe  of  re- 
moving the  religious  difficulties  with  which  ma- 
ny worthy  minds  had  been  embarraffed,  in  refpe^fl 
to  that  pradlice.  In  this  view  the  pamphlet  has 
been  of  very  confiderable  utility.  I  do  not  find 
that  IVftr.  Some  ever  printed  more  than  two  fer- 
mons  ;  one  in  the  year  1729,  concerning  the 
proper  ''  Methods  to  be  taken  by  Minifters  for 
the  Revival  of  Religion  ;"  and  another  in  1736, 
preached  at  the  funeral  of  the  Reverend  Thomas 
Saunders  of  Kettering. ^f- 

The  abilities  and  talents  of  Mr.  Doddridge 
occafioned  him  to  be  fought  for  by  much  more 
numerous  congregations  than  that  in  which  he 
iirft  fettled.  Even  fo  early  as  in  the  year  1723, 
when  he  had  but  lately  finished  his  academical 
ftudies,    he  received  an  invitation  to  undertake 

the 

t  Orton,  ubi,  fuDia,  p.  32,  33,  34..     Cooke's  Hiftoilcal  Regifter,  vol.. 
ii.  p.  332. 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  1/odd{iidge.     173 

the  paftoral  charge  of  a  large  foclety  of  dliTcnt- 
ers  la  the  city  of  London.  But  he  thought 
hinilelf  unequal  to  fo  great  a  burden.  Befides 
this,  he  Was  difcouraged  by  the  unhappy  differ- 
ences which  at  that  time  fubfifted  between  the 
non-conformiil  minifters  of  the  metropolis  and 
its  neighborhood,  about  fubfcribing  or  not  fub- 
fcribing  to  articles  of  faith,  in  the  words  of 
human  device/  as  a  tcft  of  orthodoxy.  In  his 
anfwer  to  the  gentleman  who  tranfmitted  the 
invitation  to  him,  he  difplayed  the  liberality  of 
his  own  mind  ;  for  after  mentioning  fome  other 
objedions  to  the  propofai,  he  added  as  follows  : 
*'  I  might  alfo  have  been  required  to  fubfcribe  ; 
*'  which  I  am  refolved  never  to  do.  We  have 
''  no  difputes  on  that  matter  in  thefe  parts.  A 
^*  neighbouring  gentleman  once  endeavoured  to 
^'  introduce  a  fubfcription  ;  but  it  was  efFedual- 
**  ly  overruled  by  Mr.  Some  of  Harborough, 
'*  Mr.  Norris  of  Welford,  and  Mr.  Jennings, 
*^  my  tutor.  I  fliall  content  myfelf  here,  with 
"  being  a  benevolent  well-wiflier  to  the  interefts 
**  of  liberty  and  peace. "-f- 

In  1726-7,  Mr.  Doddridge  was  recommend- 
ed by  his  friend  Mr.  Clark  to  a  vacant  congre- 
gation at  Hertford  j  the  confequence  of  which 
was,  that  tvv^o  perfons  were  fent  to  Kibworth, 
to  hear  him.  The  refult  of  this  matter,  which 
ftrongly  difplays  the  ridiculoully  narrow  fpirit  of 
fome  of  the  dilTenters  at  that  period,  is  thus  hu- 
mouroufly  related  by  Mr.  Clark  in  one  of  his 
letters.  *'  Not  having  any  other  opportunity, 
**  I  thought  it  neceflary    to   fend   you   without 

**  delay 

t  Oiton,  ;ibi  fupr?.,  p.  40,  , 


Wfw' 


174     Memoirs  of  pR.  Doddridgc. 

"  delay  by  the  poft,  to  complain  of  your  keep- 
♦'  ing  in  your  place  of  worfhip  fuch  ftumbling- 
*'  blocks  and   fuperftitious  cuftoms,  as  are  very 
*^  ofFenfive  to  your  chriftian  brethren.     It  is  no 
*'  wonder   you   are    thought    a   legal  preacher, 
*^  when  you  have  the  ten  commandments  paint- 
*'  ed  upon  the  walls   of  your  chapel.     Befides, 
^^  you  have  a  clerk,   it  feems,  fo  impertinent  as 
*Vto  fay,  AmeUy  with  an  audible  voice.     O  tem- 
^'  pora  !   O  rpores  !   that   fuch  a  rag  of  popery 
*^  fliould   ever  be  tolerated  in  a  congregation  of 
*'  Proteftant  diffenters  ;    and,   to  complete  allj 
*^  you,   the  minifter,  conclude  your  prayers  with 
*'  a   form    called   the   Lord's  prayer.     Do  you 
*^  know  what  mifchief  you  have  done  ?  What  a 
**  blot  you  have  brought  upon  yourfelf  by  fuch 
**  offenfive   pradices    ?    It    may    be,    you    are 
**  furprifed  at  what  this  means.     In  a  few  words 
*'  then,  Mr.    Chandler  of  Bedford,  being  on  his 
'*  return  home  at  Mr.  Eccles's,  delired  him  up- 
**  on    my    motion   to   write  to  Hertford,, to  re- 
**  commend  you  to  them  in  his  name,  as  a  very 
*'  fit  man  to  be  their  minifter.      Upon  this,  two 
^^  members   of  that  congregation  went  over  the 
*'  other  day  to  hear  you  preach.     But  no  fooner 
'^  did  they  come  into  the  place,    but  they  found 
*^  themfelves  dilappointed ;  and  what  they  heard 
*^  at  the  clofe,  confirmed  them  fo  much  in  their 
^*  prejudices,  that  they   thought  it  needlefs  to 
*^  fay  any  thing  of  their  intention  to  you.     Go- 
^'  ing  to  preach  laft  Sunday  at  Ware,  I  heard  all 
^^  this  there,  and  afterwards  at  Hertford.     I  can- 
*'  not  but  pity  them  for  their  weaknefs  ;   and  do 
**  not  knov/  but  it  is  happy  for  you  not  to   en- 

*^  counter 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Doddridge.     17^ 

*^  counter  fuch  odd  humours. "-f*  It  was  indeed 
happy  for  Mr.  Doddridge,  that  he  had  not  to 
encounter  with  people  of  fuch  a  rigid  and  capri- 
cious difpofition.  However,  it  ought  to  be  re- 
membered, that  fome  of  the  diflenters  at  Hert- 
ford had  fenfe  enough  to  be  angry  that  two  per- 
fons  ihould  take  upon  them  to  judge  for  the 
w^hole  fociety. 

Mr.  Doddridge,  in  the  year  1728,  received  a 
prefiing  invitation  from  one  of  the  diffenting 
congregations  at  Nottingham,  and  a  few  months 
after,  from  the  other.  There  were  many  cir- 
cumftances  that  tended  to  recommend  both  the 
invitations.  The  focieties  were  large  and  re- 
fpedtable,  the  falary  confiderable,  the  town  pop- 
ulous and  flourifhing,  its  fituation  delightful, 
the  converfation  agreeable,  and  the  profpedt  of 
ufefulnefs  very  extenfive.  Neverthelefs,  after 
mature  deliberation,  Mr.  Doddridge  determined 
to  adhere  to  the  plan  of  continuing  to  purfue 
his  fchemes  of  improvement  in  a  more  private 
refidence.  In  this  determination  he  did  not  ad: 
without  confulting  his  wifeft  friends,  and  feek- 
ing  for  divine  diredion.  In  1729,  he  was  cho- 
fsn  afiiftant  to  Mr.  Some  at  Harborough ;  the 
congregation  at  that  place  being  defirous  to  en- 
joy his  labours  more  frequently  than  before  :  the 
refult  of  which  choice  was,  that  he  preached 
there  and  at  Kib worth  alternately.  At  this 
time  of  his  life,  though  he  was  but  little  more 
than  twenty-feven  years  of  age,  the  fame  of  his 
abilities  and  worth  was  fo  much  fpread  abroad, 
that  his  fettlement  among  them  was  fought  for 

by 

t  Letters  ^o  and  from  iheRev.  Dr.  Doddridge,  p.  14,  i^. 


$7^     Memoirs  oP  Dti.  Doddridge; 

by  various  large  focieties  befides  thcfe  already" 
mentioned.  But  his  regard  to  Mr.  Some,  his 
love  for  the  people  at  Kib worth,  and  his  folici- 
tude  to  have  greater  leifure  for  ftudy  than  he 
could  enjoy  in  a  populous  town  and  extenfive 
connecfrions,  ftill  retained  their  influence  in  lead- 
ing him  to  decline  the  different  propofals  that 
were  made  to  him  for  a  removal.* 

When  Mr.  Doddridge  left  the  academy,  Mr« 
Jennings,  a  few  weeks  before  his  death,  which 
happened  in  the  prime  of  his  days,  on  the  eighth 
of  July,  1723,  earneftly  preffed  his  pupil  to  keep 
in  view  the  improvement  of  the  courfe  he  had 
gone  through  of  academical  lectures,  and  to  ftu- 
dy that  courfe  in  fuch  a  manner  as  to  refer  what 
occurred  to  him,  to  the  compendiums  his  tutor 
had  drawn  up,  that  they  might  be  illuftrated  and 
enriched.  Our  young  divine  did  not  then  fuf- 
pe6l  what  was  the  motive  of  Mr.  Jennings  in 
i<ivin^  him  this  advice.  But  he  afterwards  was 
informed,  that  his  tutor  had  declared  it  to  be 
his  opinion,  that  if  it  fliould  pleafe  God  to  re- 
move him  early  in  life,  Mr.  Doddridge  was  the 
moft  likely  of  any  of  his  pupils  to  purfue  the 
fchemes  which  he  had  formed  ;  and  which,  in- 
deed, were,  very  far  from  being  complete,  as  he 
died  about  eight  years  after  he  had  undertaken 
the  condu(fl:  of  a  theological  academy.  Agreea- 
bly to  Mr.  Jennings's  advice,  Mr.  Doddridge, 
during  his  fettlement  at  Kibworth,  reviewed  his 
courfe  of  ledures  with  care.  About  this  time, 
an  ingenious  young  gentleman,  Mr.  Thomas 
Benyon,  fon  of  Dr.  Samuel  Benyon,  a  celebrated 

minifter 

•  Orton,  ubi,  fupra,  p.  39—410 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     17^ 

tninifler  and  tutor  at  Shrewfbury,  who  died  in 
1708,  had  entertained  thoughts  of  reviving  the 
Icheme  of  his  father.  Converfing  one  day  with 
Mr.  Doddridge,  the  difcourfe  turned  upori  the 
beft  method  of  conducting  the  preparatory  ftud- 
ies  of  youth  intended  for  the  miniftry;  In  con- 
clufion,  Mr.  Benyon  earneltly  requefted  of  his 
friend,  that  he  would  write  down  his  fentiments 
upon  the  fubjecft.  Mr.  Doddridge  confented. 
and  drew  up  his  thoughts  in  the  form  of  a  let- 
ter, which  grew  into  a  confiderable  volume. 
But  when  he  had  juft  finifhed  the  work,  Mr. 
Benyon,  for  v/hofe  ufe  it  was  defigned,  died,  and 
the  treatife  remained  in  the  writer's  ov^n  hands. 
Mr.  Saunders  of  Kettering,  happening  to  fee  it 
in  his  ftudy,  defired  to  have  the  perufal  of  it  ; 
after  which  he  fhewed  it  to  Dr.  Watts,  with 
whom  Mr.  Doddridge  had  then  no  perfonal  ac- 
quaintance. The  Doftor,  who  was  much  plea- 
led  with  the  plan,  made  fome  remarks  upon  it, 
and  communicated  it  to  feveral  of  his  friends, 
\vho  all  concurred  in  opinion,  that  the  perfon 
who  had  drawn  it  up  was  beft  qualified  to  carry 
it  into  execution*  Accordingly,  application  was 
made  to  him  for  that  purpofe  ;  and  Mr.  Some 
was  the  gentleman  principally  employed  in  ma- 
naging the  affair.  He  knew  that  Mr.  Dod- 
dridge had  every  important  and  defirable  qualifi- 
cation for  the  inftrud:ion  of  youth  ;  and  there- 
fore he  not  only  propofed  his  undertaking  it, 
but  preffed  the  matter  upon  him  in  the  ftrongeft 
terms.  Nor  would  he  by  any  means  allow  the 
validity  of  his  plea  of  incapacity,  but  urged  that, 
fuppofing  him  Icfs  capable  than  his  friendjs  be- 
M  *  lieved, 


I7S     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doppridgit* 

lieved,  he  might  improve  his  time  in  his  retire-^ 
ment,  vvhexT.  engaged  in  luch  a  work  with  a  few* 
pupils,  to  greater  advantage  than  without  them'. 
This  was  a  very  proper  confideration  :  for  every 
man  who  has  iuilained  the  charadler  of  a  pre- 
ceptor, if  he  has  difcharged  his  duty  with  a  fuit- 
able  degree  of  attention  and  fidelity,  muft  be  fen- 
fible  that  the  employment  has  highly  contributed 
to  the  accuracy  and  increafe  of  his  own  know- 
ledge. Mr.  Some  had  likewife,  unknown  to 
Mr.  Doddridge,  obtained  from  the  relations  of 
fome  young  men, .  the  promife  of  putting  them 
under  his  care,  by  which  another  objedtion  that 
might  have  arifen  was  precluded  ;  and  Mr.  Saun- 
ders offered  his  brother  to  be  the  firft  pupil  of 
the  intended  academy.  It  was  with  great  humi- 
liry  and  diffidence  that  Mr.  Doddridge  hearken- 
ed to  thefe  folicitations.  He  was  deeply  con- 
vinced of  the  importance  and  difficulty  of  the 
undertaking,  and  devoutly  implored  the  diredion 
and  affiflance  of  the  Supreme  Being.  Whilfl 
he  was  ftill  in  doubt  with  regard  to  his  final  de- 
termination, he  efteemed  it  a  kind  providence 
that  the  difienting  minifters  m  the  neighbour- 
hood had  agreed  to  meet  at  Lutterworth,  on  the 
tenth  of  April,  1729,  to  fpend  a  day  in  humilia- 
tion and  prayer  for  the  revival  of  religion.  To 
this  allembly  Mr.  Some  propofed  the  fcheme  that 
had  been  concerted  for  the  eftablidiment  of  an 
academy  at  Harborough,  under  the  care  of  his 
young  friend ;  and  it  met  with  the  entire  appro- 
bation of  the  gentlemen  prefent.  They  unani- 
moufly  concurred  in  their  fentiments  of  the  pro- 
jpriety   and    ufefulnefs   of  the  defign,    and  Mr. 

Doddridge^s 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge,      1^9 

Doddridge's  qualifications  for  conducing  it ;  and 
they  promifed  him  all  the  affiftancc  and  encour- 
agement that  were  in  their  power.  This  had 
great  weight  in  forming  his  refolution.  Ncver- 
thelefs,  before  the  matter  was  abfolutely  deter- 
mined, he  thought  proper  to  confult  fome  of  his 
brethren  and  friends  at  a  diftance,  and  efpecially 
Mr.  Clark  ;  who  at  firft  hefitatcd  on  the  fub- 
jed:,  and,  on  account  of  Mr.  Doddridge's  admir- 
able talents  for  the  pulpit,  feemed  rather  to  wifh 
that  he  might  have  a  fettlement  in  London. 
However,  lie  foon  approved  of  the  fcheme,  as 
did  ^he  reli  of  the  perfons  v/hofe  advice  had  been 
folicited.  Mr.  Doddridge  confented,  therefore, 
to  the  execution  of  a  plan  v/hich,  oa  every  fide, 
was  fo  zealouily  and  earneftly  recommended. 
What  much  encouraged  hin>  to  enter  upon  the 
office  of  an  academical  tutor,  was  the  circum- 
flance  of  his  retreat  at  Harbcrough  ;  the  pafto- 
ral  care  of  the  congregation  there,  and  at  Kib- 
worth,  being  fulfilled  by  Mr.  Some  ;  fo  that  he 
had  little  to  do  as  a  minifter,  excepting  to  make 
one  fermon  a  Vvxek,  which  confidering  the  vigour 
and  celerity  of  his  mind,  Vv^as  an  eafy  tafk. 

Mr.  Doddridge  having,  at  length,  refoived  to 
comply  with  the  wifhes  of  his  friends,  he  imme- 
diately reviewed  his  plans  of  Academical  Studies, 
v/ith  Dr.  Watts's  remarks,  and  correfponded 
with  that  eminent  divine  on  the  fubjedt.  He 
read,  likewife,  every  valuable  book  which  he 
could  meet  v/ith  on  the  education  of  youth,  ^nd 
made  fuch  extradls  as  he  thought  might  be  con- 
ducive to  the  execution  of  his  defign.  Befides 
this,  he  wrote  many  letters  to  the  minifters  of 
M  2  different 


i8o     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

different  denominations,  with  whom  he  was  ac- 
quainted, requefting  their  advice  in  his  great  un- 
dertaking. One  gentleman  whom  he  particu- 
larly confulted  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Wright, 
of  London,  who  favoured  him  with  his  fenti- 
ments  at  large,  efpecially  on  the  head  of  divinity 
ledlures.  Mr.  Clark  communicated  to  him  va- 
rious tranfcripts  from  the  ledures  of  Mr.  Jones, 
who  had  been  a  tutor  of  diftinguiflied  ability  and 
learning,  at  Tewkfbury  in  Glocefterrtiire.  With 
all  thefe  preparations,  Mr.  Doddridge  thought 
it  his  wifdom  to  make  a  trial  firft  in  a  private 
way,  with  only  two  or  three  ftudents,  declining 
to  receive  others  that  offered.  At  Midfummer, 
1729^  he  opened  his  academy.  The  fubjed:  or 
his  firft  ledure  to  his  pupils  was  of  a  religious 
kind,  fliewing  the  nature,  reafonablenefs,  and  ad- 
vantages, of  their  acknowledging  God  in  .their 
ftudies.  In  the  fecond,  he  gave  diredions  for 
their  behaviour  to  him,  to  each  other,  to  thb 
family,  and  all  around  them  ;  with  proper  mo- 
tives to  excite  their  attention  to  a  right  condu6t 
in  thefe  refpects.  After  this  he  proceeded  to 
his  ordinary  courfe.*  Thus  was  he  led  to  a  fi- 
tuation  of  life  which  formed  the  moft  diftin- 
guiflied  fcene  of  his  ufefulnefs.  The  late  Rev. 
Hugh  Farmer,  fo  w^ell  known  among  the  dif- 
fenters  as  a  nioft  excellent  preacher,  and  by  the 
literary  world  in  general  for  his  extenfive  learning 
and  valuable  publications,  was  one  of  Mr.  Dod- 
dridge's earliell:  ftudents. 

Our  voun^^   tutor  had   been  emoloyed  in  his 
preceptorial  capacity  but  a  few    months,    when 

he 

*  Orton,  ubi  fupr?,  p.  41—47.     Djcldrrdge's  Letters,  p.  19,  20. 


Memoirs   of  Dr.   Doddridge.     i8r 

he  was  diredted  by  Providence  to  a  fituation  of 
greater  ufefulnefs  as  a  chriitian  ii^inifter.  There 
being  a  vacancy  in  the  diffenting  congregation  at 
Caftle-Hill,  in  Northampton,  in  confequence  of 
the  removal  of  Mr.  Tingey  to  London,  Mr. 
Doddridge  preached  occafionally  to  them,  as  did 
others  of  his  brethren.  In  doing  this,  his  fer- 
vices  were  fo  acceptable  to  the  people,  that  he 
was  invited  and  ftrongly  urged  by  them  to  be- 
come their  paftor.  Some  of  his  friends,  and  par- 
ticularly Mr.  Some,  advifed  his  continuance  at 
Harborough.  The  arguments  alledged  by  theni 
were,  that  he  would  have  more  tim.e  to  apply  to 
his  work  as  a  tutor,  than  if  he  had  the  fole  care 
of  a  large  fociety  ;  and  that  there  was  another 
minifter,  who,  it  was  thought,  might  well  fup- 
ply  the  vacancy,  though,  perhaps,  not  in  everv 
reipcdl  equally  to  the  latisfadtion  of  the  con!^re- 
o^ation.  Thefe  confiderations  had  fuch  weipht 
with  him,  that  he  determined  to  continue  in  his 
prefent  ftation.  In  purfuance  of  this  view  of 
the  cafe,  Mr.  Some  went  to  Northampton,  to 
perfuade  the  people  to  wave  their  application. 
But  when  he  came  there,  and  favv  their  zeal  and 
afFedlion  in  the  affair,  and  heard  the  motives  by 
which  they  adted,  and  the  circumftances  in 
w^iich  they  ftood,  he  was,  as  he  expreffed  it, 
like  Saul  among  the  proohets,  and  im.mediately 
wrote  to  Mr.  Doddridge  to  prefs  his  acceptance 
of  the  invitation.  The  fame  thing  v/ns  ftrong- 
ly urged  by  his  friend  Mr.  Clark.  Still,  how- 
ever, he  was  averfe,  on  many  accounts,  to  a 
change  in  his  fituation.  But,  being  defirous  of 
tcftifying  his  gratitude  and  regard  to  the  congre-- 
M  -^  _!T;ation, 


jSi     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

gation,  he  made  them  a  vifit,  on  purpofe  to  ex-.^" 
plain  in  perfon  his  reafons  for  declining  their 
propofal.  Whilft  he  was  on  this  vifit,  fcveral 
events  occurred,  which  ftrongly  tended  to  pre- 
vail upon  him  to  alter  his  refolution.  One  or 
two  of  them,  perhaps,  may  be  deemed,  by  fome 
of  thofe  who  may  read  Mr.  Orton's  account  of 
them,  to  have  a  tindture  of  enthufiaftic  weaknefs  ; 
but  there  was  an  argument  prefented  to  him, 
which  muft  be  allowed  to  have  had  very  great 
w^eight.  Before  he  returned  to  Harborough, 
the  young  perfons  of  the  fociety  came  to  him  in 
a  body  -,  earneflly  entreated  his  fettlement  among 
them  ;  and  promifed  to  fubmit  to  all  fuch  meth- 
ods of  inftrudion  as  he  fliould  think  proper. 
This  laft  circumftance  was  the  confideration  that 
turned  the  fcales  for  his  going  to  Northampton, 
after  they  had  long  hovered  in  uncertainty. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  of  December,  1729, 
Mr,  Doddridge  removed,  with  his  academy,  from 
Harborough  to  Northampton,  and  in  the  fpace 
of  two  or  three  weeks  commenced  houfekeeping. 
This  important  change  in  his  fituation  was  not 
fuffered  to  pafs  without  his  entering  into  a  fevere 
examination  of  his  own  mind,  and  forming  the 
.mofh  pious  and  facred  refolution s  with  refpedt  to 
his  condu'S,  both  as  a  mafler  of  a  family  and  a 
minifler  of  the  gofpel.  That  be  might  be  the 
better  prepared  for  the  large  pafloral  work  now 
devolved  upon  him,  he  employed  part  of  the 
time  between  his  fettlement  and  his  ordination 
in  reading  the  beft  treatifes  on  the  qualifications 
and  duties  of  the  m.iniflerial  office.  The  books 
piirticularly  ftudied  by  him  were  Chryfoftom  on 

the 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Doddridge.     183 

the    Priefthood,    Bowles's    Paftor    Evangel iciis, 
Burnet  on  the  Paftoral  Care,  and  Baxter's  Gildas 
Salvianus.     He  read,  likewile,  the   lives  of  fome 
pious  and  adlive  minifters,  among  which  that  of 
die  Rev.  Mr.  Philip  Henry  afforded  hini  much 
inftrudicn    and    encouragement.      Befides    this, 
lie  feledled,  from  the  works  w^hich   he  perufed, 
the  moft  important  advices,  reflections,  and  mo- 
tives •  and  made  a  collection   of  thofe  maxims  of 
prudence  and'  difcretion,   an  attention  to  which 
he  thought  would  be  calculated  to  fecure  efteem 
and  ufefulnefe. 

.    About  two   months   after    Mr.    Doddridge's 
kttlement  at  Northampton,  he  was  feized  v/ith 
a  dangerous    illnefs,    which  gave    many   painful 
fears  to    his   friends,    left  a  life  of  fuch  diftin- 
guiflied  excellence,  and   fuch  promifmg   utility, 
fhould    be   fpeedily   cut   off.     But,    through  a 
merciful  Providence,  he  recovered  from  the  dif- 
order,  and,  in  due  time,  his  health  was  complete- 
iy  reftored.     While  he  was   yet  in  a  very  weak 
iiate,  the  day  arrived,  which  had  been  fixed  up- 
on for  his  ordination  ;  and  it  was  a  day  to  him  of 
great  folemnity  and  importance,  and   which  ex- 
ercifcd  his  moft  devout  meditations.     This  event 
took  place  on  the  nineteenth  of  March,  1729-30. 
It  is  but  an  ad:  of  juftice  to  record  the  names  of 
the  worthy  minifteis  who  were  engaged  in  fetting 
apart  for  the  paftoral  .oiiice  fo  eminent  an  inftru- 
ment  of  fervicc   to  the    church   and   the  world 
Mr.  Goodrich  of  Oundle  began  with  prayer   and 
reading  the  fcriptures.      Mr.  Dav/fonof  Plinck - 
ley    prayed  before  fermon.     Th<"n  Mr,  Watfoa 
of  Leicefter  preached  a  difcourfe  fiom  i  Timo- 


1^4    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

thy  iii.  i .  ^'  This  Is  a  true  faying,  if  a  man  de- 
fire  the  office  of  a  bifliop,  he  defireth  a  good  work/' 
After  this,  the  call  of  the  church  was  read  by  Mr. 
Norris  of  Welford  ;  and  when  Mr.  Doddridge 
had  declared  his  acceptance  of  it,  he  delivered 
his  confeffion  of  faith,  which  was  followed  by 
what  is  ufually  called  the  ordination  prayer.  The 
charge  to  Mr.  Doddridge  was  given  by  Mr.  Clark 
of  St,  Alban's  and  the  exhortation  to  the  people 
by  Mr.  Saunders  of  Kettering  -,  and  the  whole 
folemnity  was  concluded  with  a  prayer  by  Mr. 
Mattock  of  Daventry.*  It  is  rather  furprifing 
that  we  do  not  meet  with  the  name  of  Mr.  Some 
on  this  occafion.  Some  particular  incident,  now 
not  known,  perhaps  a  fudden  illnefs,  might  have 
deprived  Mr.  Doddridge  of  the  affiftance  of  fo 
valuable  and  intimate  a  friend.  That  the  caufe 
fliould  not  have  been  mentioned  by  Mr.  Orton  in 
his  Memoirs,  or  by  Mr.  Doddridge  in  his  Diary, 
is  an  omiffion  that  could  fcarccly  have  been  ex- 
pelled. 

It  would  carry  us  beyond  the  limits  that  muft 
be  affigned  to  the  prefent  narrative,  to  defcribe, 
at  large,  the  diligence,  zeal,  and  fervour,  with 
which  Mr.  Doddridge  difcharged  his  paftoral 
duty.  This  matter  is  fully  infifted  upon  by 
Mr.  Orton,  to  whom  we  muft  refer  for  a  more 
minute  detail  of  particulars.  However,  we  fhall 
infift  upon  a  few  leading  circumftances.  Mr. 
Doddridee's  firft  care  was  to  know  the  eftate  of 
his  flock  ;  for  which  purpofe  he  made  diligent 
enquiry  into  the  members  and  flated  hearers  of 
which  it  confiiled,   and  entered  in    a  book  their 

names^ 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge,     icy^ 

names,  families,  places  of  abode,  connedtions  and 
charaders.  By  this  he  was  better  enabled  to 
adapt  his  vifits  and  advices  to  their  refpedtive 
fituations,  and  their  religious  improvement.  With 
regard  to  the  compoiition  of  fermons,  his  work 
as  a  tutor,  and  the  paftoral  infpedtion  of  a  very 
numerous  congregation,  rendered  it  next  to  im- 
poffible  that  his  difcourfes  for  the  pulpit  flioald 
be  fo  exadl  and  accurate  as  they  v/ere  in  the  for- 
mer part  of  his  miniftry.  '•'  Nor  was  it,"  fays 
Mr.  brton,  *'  needful.  Having  habituated  him- 
*'  felf,  for  feveral  years,  to  correct  compofitions, 
'^  having  laid  up  fuch  a  fund  of  knowledge, 
"  efpecially  of  the  fcriptures,  which  was  daily 
**  increafing  by  his  ftudies  and  ledlures,  he  fome- 
*'  times  only  wrote  down  the  heads  and  leading 
**  thoughts  of  his  fermons,  and  the  principal 
**  texts  of  fcripture  he  defigned  to  introduce. 
*^  But  he  was  fo  thoroughly  mailer  of  his  fub- 
**  je'll,  and  had  fuch  a  ready  utterance  and  fo 
**  warm  a  heart,  that  perhaps  few  minifters  can 
**  compofe  better  difcourfes  than  he  delivered 
**  from  thefe  fhort  hints."*  This  encomium 
is,  I  think,  to  be  admitted  with  fome  flight  de- 
gree of  abatement.  The  fermons  of  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge were  different,  as  he  was  differently  cir- 
cumftanced.  When  he  had  leifure  to  draw  out 
his  plan,  and  the  hints  of  what  he  prooofed  to 
fiy,  to  a  confiderable  extent,  his  difcourfes  v/ere 
often  excellent  in  a  hiA  dc-^ree.  But,  at  other 
times,  when  he  could  but  jail  lay  down  his 
fcheme,  with  only  a  very  few  thoughts  under  it, 
his  fermons,    efpecially  if  he  was  not  in   a  full 

flow  ■ 

•  Qirton,  ubi,  fv.py^,  p.  57..  5%, 


i86     Memoirs  of  Dr.  DoddridgeJ 

flow  of  fpirits,  were  lefs  valuable.     Once,  dur^ 
ing  my  refidence  with  him,    a  number  of  pupils 
complained,    through   the  medium  of  Mr.  Or- 
ton,  that,    though  their  revered  tutor's  academi- 
cal ledlures  were  admirable,  they  had  not  in  him 
a  fufficiently  cor  reft  model  of  pulpit    compofi- 
tion.     The  confequence  of  the  information  was, 
that  his  fermons  became  far  fuperior  to  what  they 
had  ibmetimes    formerly  been  ;    for  he  was  the 
moft  candid   of  all  men  to  the  voice  of  gentle 
admonition.     When,    however,     he    took    tha 
leaft  pains,  he   was   always  perfpicuous    in   his 
method,   and  natural   and   orderly    in    the   ar- 
rangement   of    his    fentiments  ;    and  hence  he 
furniflied    an    example,    from    which   many   of 
the   young    men   educated    under    him    deriv- 
ed  no  fmall  benefit  in   their    future     labours. 
I  remember  a  remarkable  inftance  of  his  power 
in  extemporaneous  fpeaking.    Akenfide  the  poet, 
who  in  early  life  was  fettled,  for  a  ihort  time,  at 
Northampton,  being  vifited  by  fome  relations 
from  Newcaftle  upon  Tyne,  who  were  dillent- 
^rs/came  with  them,  unexpedledly,  one  Sunday 
morning,  to  Dr.  Doddridge's  meeting.  The  fub- 
yeOi  he  preached  upon  was   a  common  orthodox 
topic,  for  which  he  had  fcarcely  made  any  pre- 
paration.    But   he  roufed   his   faculties  on   the 
occafion,  and  fpoke  Vvith    fuch  energy,   variety, 
and  eloquence,  as  excited   my   warmeft   admira- 
tion, and  muft  have  impreiled  Dr.  Akenfide  with 
a  high  opinion  of  his  abilities.     The   ingenious 
poet  and  the  learned  divine  were  in  the  habits  ot 
confiderable  intimacy  while  the  former  refided  at 
Northnmpton.     A    matter  of  contioverfy    be- 
tween 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     i2y 

tween  them  was,  how  far  the  ancient  heathen 
philolbphers  were  acquainted  with,  and  had  in- 
culcated, the  dcdtrine  of  inrmnortiiity.  Aken- 
fide  contended  for  the  honour  ot  the  phiiofo- 
phers,  and  Doddridge  for  that  of  the  chrilliaa 
revelation.  The  fubje6t  was  purfued,  in  e:iprefs 
conferences,  for  two  or  three  evenings  ;  and 
both  the  gentlemen  exerted  their  talents,  and 
colleded  their  literature  on  the  different  hdes  of 
the  queftion.  Dr.  Doddridge^  who  loved  to  in- 
form his  pupils  of  whatever  he  met  with  which 
he  thought  would  contribute  to  their  inftru6lioii 
and  pleafure,  related  to  us,  on  the  fucceeding 
mornings,  the  arguments  that  had  been  produ- 
ced, and  the  relult  of  the  debate. 

Without  entering  into  a  particular  detail  of 
many  things  which  might  be  faid  of  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge as  a  preacher,  I  cannot  help  taking  notice 
that  he  was  always  warm  and  affectionate  in  the 
applications  of  his  fermons.  His  fentiments  on 
this  head  he  has  thus  exprefied  :  **  It  is  indeed 
*'  unworthy  the  character  of  a  man  and  a  chrif- 
**  tian,  to  endeavour  to  tranfport  men's  paflions, 
"  while  the  underftandinc^  is  left  uninformed, 
*' and  the  reafon  unconvinced.  But,  fo  far  as 
*'  is  confiflent  with  a  proper  regard  to  this  lead- 
**  ing  povv^er  of  our  nature,  I  would  fpeak  and 
**  write  of  divine  truth  with  a  holy  fervency, 
^*  Nor  can  I  imagine  that  it  would  bode  well  to 
*^  the  interefl  of  renjion  to  endeavour  to  lay  all 
"  thofe  pai'nons  afieep,  w^hich  fiirely  God  im- 
♦'  planted  in  our  hearts  to  ferve  the  religious  as 
^'  well  as  the  civil  life,  and  which,  after  ail,  will 
*'  probably  be  employed  to    lome  ve-v  excellent 

''  or 


i88     Memoirs  of  Dr.  D.oddridg£^ 

**  or  very  pernicious  purpofes /'••'*  This  Is  the 
language  of  wifdom.  True  eloquence  confifts 
in  an  union  of  the  rational,  the  forcible  and  the 
pathetic  ;  and  to  addrefs  to  the  afledlions  as  v/ell 
as  to  the  reafon,  of  mankind,  is  the  didtate  of  the 
foundeft  philofophy.  The  cold  and  feeble  con- 
clufions  of  many  difcourfes  from  the  pulpit, 
are  as  difgufting  to  a  juft  tafte,  as  they  are  un- 
profitable with  regard  to  religious  improvement. 
Itmnftnotbe  omitted,  that  Mr.  Doddridge 
thought  it  a  part  of  minifteria!  prudence  to  take 
public  notice  of  remarkable  providential  occur- 
rences. He  endeavoured,  in  his  fermons,  to  de- 
duce leffons  of  wifdom  and  piety  from  import- 
ant tranfadions,  affecting  the  nation,  town,  or 
any  confiderable  number  of  his  hearers.  Nor 
did  he  negledt  uncommon  appearances  of  nature, 
or  other  events,  that  were  the  fubjefts  of  gener- 
al converfation  ;  to  which  may  be  added  the  fea- 
fons  of  the  year,  and  efpecially  the  mercies  of 
harveft.  From  an  attention  to  thefe  different 
circumflances,  his  difcourfes  were  accompanied 
v/ith  a  greater  extent  of  variety  and  ufeful nefs. 
He  v/as  a  friend  to  funeral  fermons,  which,  if 
they  be  not  too  frequently  exercifed  or  convert- 
ed to  the  purpofes  of  adulation,  conftitute  an 
inftrudlive  and  an  aff^ding  part  of  compofitions 
for  the  pulpit.  In  his  manner  of  fpeaking  he 
had  an  earneflnefs  and  pathos  which  tended  great- 
ly to  affed  his  hearers.  By  fome  perfons  his 
pronunciation  and  adion  were  judged  to  be  too 
ftrong  and  vehement  ;  but  to  thofe  who  Vv^ere 
acquainted  v/ith  the  vivacity  of  his  temper,  and 

his 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     189 

Ms  ufual  mode  of  converfatlon,  it  appeared  quite 
natural  and  unafFeded. 

With  refpedt  to  his  condud:,  as  a  minifler, 
out  of  the  pulpit,  it  muft  fuffice  briefly  to  ob- 
ferve,  that  he  was  very  exadl  in  the  exercile 
of  chriftian  difcipHne,  and  in  feparating  thofe 
from  the  church  who  were  a  reproach  to  their 
religious  profefTion  ;  that  he  had  a  deep  concern 
and  aftedioriate  regard  for  the  riling  generation ; 
and  that,  in  the  midft  of  his  numerous  duties 
and  engagements,  it  was  matter  of  furprife  that 
he  could  fpare  fo  much  time,  as  he  did,  for  paf- 
toral  vifits.  It  was  a  grief  to  him  to  find  that 
the  children  of  fome  of  his  hearers,  through  the 
ignorance  and  poverty  of  their  parents,  had  nev- 
er been  taught  to  read  ;  and  therefore  he  per- 
fiiaded  his  people,  in  1738,  to  concur  w^ith  hirk 
in  eftabl idling  a  charity  fchool.  In  this  bene- 
volent deiign  he  met  with  fo  much  encourage- 
ment, that  a  foundation  was  laid  for  inftruding 
and  clothing  twenty  boys,  who  were  put  under 
the  care  of  a  pious  and  flcilful  mafter.  The 
Doftor  himfelf  often  viiited  the  fchool  and  ex- 
amined and  exhorted  the  children  ;  accompany- 
ing his  exhortations  with  affedionate  prayers  for 
their  improvement  and  welfare.  With  fuch 
diftinguiflied  abilities  of  the  mind,  and  with  fuch 
excellent  virtues  of  the  heart,  It  will  not  be 
deemed  furprifing  that  he  pofieffed,  in  a  very 
high  degree,  the  efteem  and  love  of  his  congre- 
gation. In  his  laft  will  he  bore  this  teftimony 
to  their  character, ''  That  he  had  fpent  the  moit 
**  delightful  hours  of  his  life  in  aflerting  the 
^'^  devotions  of  as  ferious,  as  grateful,   and  as  de- 

^^  ferving 


tgo     MexMoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

''  ferving  a  people,  as  perhaps  any  minifter  ever 
*'  had  the  happinefs  to  ferve/'*  This  charac- 
ter was  no  doubt  generally,  and  indeed  almoft 
univerfally,  true.  Neverthelefs,  he  was  not 
without  his  calls  for  the  exercife  of  patience. 
There  were  perfons  belonging  to  his  fociety  who 
were  narrow  bigots,  and  weak  enthufiafts  ;  and 
thefe  fometimes  entruded  upon  him  in  a  foolifli 
and  troublefome  manner.  He  behaved,  how- 
ever to  them  with  a  condefcenfion  and  tender- 
nefs  which  they  fcarcely  deferved,  and  of  which 
few  minifters  of  the  gofpel  would  be  able  to  fet 
an  equally  ftriking  example. 

In  1730,  Mr.  Doddridge  entered  into  the 
matrimonial  relation  with  Mrs.  Mercy  Maris,  a 
native  of  Worcefter,  and  a  lady  in  whom  he 
found  every  qualification  that  could  render  mar- 
riage defirable.  She  was,  indeed,  a  religious,  pru- 
dent and  affectionate  companion .  Her  conilitution 
was  delicate,  and  her  health,  at  times  precari« 
cus,  which  often  gave  her  hufband  no  fmall 
caufe  of  alarm  3  but  (he  was  happily  continued 
to  him  through  his  whole  life,  and  furvived  him 
a  great  number  of  year?:..' p  Of  his  affedtion  and 
tendernefs  for  her  much  might  be  laid,  were  it 
neceilary  to  enlarge  on  the  fubjecl:.  A  better 
proof  of  this  cannot  be  afforded  than  by  a  copy 
of  verfes  which  he  once  wrote  to  her,  from 
London,  when  abfent  on  a  journey.  They  are 
as  follows  : 

Tedious 

•  Orton,  ubi  foprr,  .62— -73. 
t  Orton,  ubi  fupra^p.  X29, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     19I 

Tedious  moments  !  Ipecd  your  flying, 

Bring  Cordelia  to  my  arms  ! 
Abfcnt,  all  in  vain  I'm  trying 

Not  to  languifh  for  her  charms. 

Bufy  crowds  in  vain  farround  me, 

Bilghteft  beauties  ihine  in  vain ; 
Other  pleafures  but  confound  me, 

PleaUires  but  renew  m.y  pain. 

What  though  three  whole  years  are  ended 
Since  the  pried  has  joined  our  hands. 

Every  rolling  year  has  tended 
Only  to  endear  our  bands. 

Let  the  v/anton  wits  deride  it, 

Hiijband  is  a  charming  name  ; 
None  can  fay,  but  who  has  try'd  it. 

How  enjoyment  feeds  the  flame. 

Wives  our  better  angels  are, 

Angels  in  their  lovelied  drefs. 
Gentle  foothers  of  our  care. 

Smiling  guardians  of  our  peace. 

Happy  ftate  of  miortal  treafures. 

Circling  maze  of  noble  love  : 
Where  the  fenfe's  higheft  pleafures 

But  the  meaneil  bkfling  prove. 

Dear  Cordelia  I  hither  flying. 

Fold  thy  hufband  in  thy  arms  ; 
While  thus  t'  amufe  myfelf  Tm  trying. 

More  I  languifli  for  thy  charms. 

Mr.  Doddridge,  in  younger  life,  afforded  va- 
rious proofs  of  a  poetical  turn,  moft  of  v/hich 
are  in  the  poffeffion  of  the  prefent  biographer. 
The  excellent  lines  which  he  wrote  on  the  motto 

to 


192     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

to  the  arms  of  his  family,  *^  Dum  vivimus 
vivamus/'  have  appeared  in  feveral  publications. 
Dr.  Johnfon's  opinion  of  thefe  lines  was,  that 
they  conflituted  one  of  the  fineft  epigrams  in 
the  Englifli  language.*  Though  they  are  fo 
well  known,  they  cannot  be  omitted  in  any  me- 
moirs of  the  author'§  life. 

'*  Live,  while  vou  live,'*  the  epicure  would  fay, 
^^  And  Teize  the  plcafures  of  the  prelent  day.*' 
"  Live,  while  you  live,"  the  facred  preacher  cries, 
*^  And  give  to  God  each  moment  as  it  flies/' 
Lord,  in  my  views  let  both  united  be  ; 
I  live  in  pleafure  when  I  live  to  Thee.    . 

Mr.  Doddridge  had  a  talent  at  fatyrical  epi- 
grams ;  an  inflance  of  which  is  the  following, 
written  on  one  of  his  pupils,  a  weak  young 
man,  who  thought  that  he  had  invented  a  me- 
thod of  flying  to  the  moon. 

And  will  Volatio  leave  this  world  fo  foon^^ 
To  fl-y  to  his  own  native  fear,  the  moon  ? 
'Twill  ftand,  however,  in  fome  little  flead 
That  he  fets  out  with  fuch  an  empty  head. 

When  Mr.  Doddridge  removed  toNorthamp« 
ton,  his  academy  was  only  in  its  infancy  ;  but 
it  foon  grew  into  great  reputation,  and  the 
number  of  ftudents  increafed  every  year.  In 
1734,  he  found  it  neceifary  to  have  a  flated 
affiftant,  to  whom  he  affigned  part  of  the  ju- 
nior pupils,  and  the  fuperintendence  of  the 
whole  of  them  when  he  happened  to  be^  abfent. 

He 

♦  Bofwell's  Journal,  p.  334. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     19? 

He  was  felicitous  to  maintain  the  reputation  and 
efteem  of  the  gentlemen  who  fifcceffively   fuf- 
taincd   this  charadlerj  by  his  own  behaviour  to- 
wards them,   and  the  refpedt  which  he  requiced 
from  the  (Indents  to  them  ;  **  and  they  thought 
**  themfelves  happy  in  his  friendihip^   and  the 
**  opportunities  they  had,    by  his   converfe,  in- 
*'  ilruv!^ions,  and   example,    to  improve   them- 
**  felves,  while  they  were  affifting  in  the  educa- 
**  tion  of  others.*'*     In  thcfe  words,  which  are 
Mr,  Orton's,   he  fpoke  from  his  own  experi- 
ence ;  and  every  one  who  adted  in  the  fame  ca- 
pacity might   adopt  limilar  language.     Such  of 
them  as  I  have  been  acquainted  with,  were  very, 
re^^pedtable   for  their   knowledge  ;    and   in   the 
choice  of  them  a   particular  regard  was  paid  to 
fheir  ikill   in  the  Greek  and  Latin  claffics,   as 
Avell  as  to  their  ability  for  inftrufting  the  young 
men  in  certain  departments  of  mathematical  and 
philofophical  fcience.     Among  Dr.  Doddridge's 
alTiftants,  befides  Mr.  .Orton,  may  be  named  the 
late  Rev.  Dr.  Aikin,  and  the   Rev*   Mr.  James 
Robertfon,  who  has  been  for  many  years  Profef- 
for  of  Oriental   Literature  in    the  Univerfity  of 
Edinburgh.     Dr.  Aikin  was    afterwards,    firft^ 
claffical,  and  then  theological  tutor  at  Warring- 
ton J  and  perhaps,    as  a  lecturer,    he  v/as   nevef 
exceeded.     This  is  the  teftimony  that  has  been 
uniformly  given  of  him   by  all  who  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  being  his  pupils.     What  he  was  as  a 
parental  inftrudtor,  will  be  judged  of   from   the 
excellent  and  elegant  produdlions  of  his  fon  and 
daughter.  Dr.  John  Aikin  and  Mrs.  Barbauld. 
N  Sines 

•  Orton;  ubi  fupra. 


194     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

,     Since   Dr.  Doddridge's  office  as  a    tutor  v/as 
the  moft  important  ftation  in  which  he  appeared, 
it  is  an  effential  part  of  a  life  written  of  him,   lo 
relate,   fomevvhat  minutely,   how   he  condudled 
himfelf  in   that  capacity.     He  chofe  to  have  as 
many  pupils,  as  poflible  in  his  own  family,    that 
they  might  be  more  immediately  under  his  owfi 
eye  and  government ;  and  latterly,  he  had  a  houfe 
large  and  commodious  enough  to  contain  all  of 
them,    two  or  three  excepted.     The   orders  of 
the  feminary  were   fuch  as  fuited  ftudents  of  a 
certain  age  ;    being  a    due  medium  between  the 
rigour  of  fchool  difcipline  and  an  unlimited  in- 
dulgence.    It  was  an  eftabliflied  law,  that  every 
pupil  fhould  rile  at   fix  o'clock  in  the  fumrnsr, 
i>nd  at  leven    in  the  winter.     Each  young  man, 
in  his  turn,  fuftained  the  weekly  office  of  moni- 
tor, part   of  whofe    bufinefs  was   to  call  up  the 
reft  every  morning  ;    and  they  were  to. appear  in 
the    public   room,    foon    after    the  fixed  hour. 
Thole  who  did  not  attend  were  fa bjeit  to  a  pe- 
cuniary penalty  ;    but  if  any  repeatedly  indulged 
to  a  habit  of  floth,  they  were  obliged  to   prepare 
an  additional  academical  exercife.     The  punifh- 
,ment  of  the  monitor's  neglcdt,  which  I  never  re- 
colled:   to  have  happened,  was  a    double  fine. 
-Their  tutor  fet,  them  an  example  of  diligence  by 
-being  almoft   univerfally   prefent   with   them  at 
thefe   early  rifings.      After  a  prayer,   which  fel- 
dom  lafled  more  tiian  two  or  three  minutes,  the 
young  gentlemen  retired  to  their  refpe6tive  de- 
fers till    the  time  of  family  worlhip.      That  fer^ 
vice  was    begun  by  the  Dodtor  with  a  ffiort  pe- 
tition for  the  divine  prefenccand  blefling.    Some 

of 


Memoirs  o^.  Dr.  Doddridge.     195 

of  the  ftudents    then  read  a  chapter  of  the  Old 
Teftament  from  Plebrew  into   EiigHfll,    which 
he  critically  expounded,  and  pradlically  improv- 
ed.    After  this  a  pfalm  was  fung,  and  he  con- 
cluded with  a  longer  prayer  than  at  the  begin- 
ning.    On  Sunday  mornings  fomething  entirely 
devotional   and    pradlical  was  fubllitued  in   the 
room  of  the    ufual  expoiition.     In  the  evening 
the  v/o.rfliip  was  condudted  in  the  fame  method, 
with  only  this  difference;    that  a  chapter  of  the 
New  Teftament    was   read  by  the   pupils  from 
Greek  into  Englifh,  and  the  fenior  ftudents  pray- 
ed in    rotation.     The   Doftor,    Vv'hen    prefent,. 
which   was  generally    the  cafe,   expounded   the 
New   Teftc-ment    in    the  fame  manner  as  he  did 
the  Old.''-      It  would  give  me  pleafure,  if  I  could 
fay,  that  fome  of  the  young  men  never  flily  pla- 
ced an  Englifli  Bible  by  the  fide  of  the  Hebrew 
one.      Sucii  of  the  pupils  as  were  boarded  out  of 
the  boufe  were  obliged   to  attend  and  take  their 
parts  in  the  domeftic  devotions  ;  and  thofe,  whe- 
ther in  or  out  of  the  family,  who  were  not  pre- 
fent, were  f.ibje6L  to  a  fine,  or,  if  their  abfence 
was  frequent,   to    public  reprehenfion.     By  the 
method  which  Dr.  Doddridge  purfued,  the  ita- 
dcnts    had    an   opportunity  of  hearing  him  ex- 
pound moil  of  the  Old  Teftament,  and  the  whole 
of  the  New,  more  than  once.     The  more  dili- 
gent among  them  took  hints  of  what  v/as  deliv^ 
ered.      One    piece   of  advice  given  them  by  the; 
Doctor   was,    to   get    the    Old  Teftament,   and 
Wetftein's  Greek  Teftament  interleaved,  in  quar- 
to, in  order  to  write  in  them  the  moft  coniider- 
N  z  sbk 

*  Oiton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  75,  76- 


196     Memoirs  of  Dr.  DoDf5RiDGi£. 

able  remarks  for  the  illuftration  of  the  fcrip*^ 
tares,  which  either  occurred  in  their  tutor's  ex- 
pofitions,  or  were  derived  from  their  own  read- 
ing, converfation,  and  reflections. 

Soon  after  breakfaft.  Dr.  Doddridge  proceed- 
ed to  the  difcharge  of  his  academical  duty.  The 
feveral  clafTes  were  taken  by  him  in  their  proper 
order,  and  he  ledured  to  each  of  them  about  the 
fpace  of  an  hour.  His  affiftant  was  at  the  fame 
time  engaged  in  a  fimilar  manner.  Rich's  fhort- 
hand  was  one  of  the  firft  things  which  he  cx- 
pedted  his  pupils  to  learn,  that  he  might  be  able 
to  tranfcribe  his  own  ledlures,  and  make  extrads 
from  the  books  they  read  and  con ful ted,  with 
greater  eafe  and  celerity.  Indeed,  this  vvas  a  cir- 
cumftance  from  which  they  might  derive  great 
advantage  in  future  life,  as  the  experience  of  the 
prefent  writer  can  teftify.  Care  was  taken,  in 
the  firfi:  year  of  the  young  men's  courfe,  that  they 
ihould  retain  and  improve  that  knowledge  of 
Greek  and  Latin  which  they  had  acquired  at 
fchool.  With  regard  to  the  Hebrew  language, 
they  were  either  initiated  into  it,  or,  if  they  had 
learned  it  before,  were  carried  on  to  greater  im- 
provement. Ufualiy  the  attention  to  clalTical 
literature  was  extended  through  the  fecond  year 
of  the  courfe.  Of  late,  the  difienting  academies 
have  exerted  a  far  fuperior  zeal  with  refpedt  to 
this  very  important  objed:.  Whilft  I  was'onc 
of  the  tutors  at  Hoxton,  ciafncal  inftrudion  was 
continued  at  leaft  for  three  years  ;  and  at  the  new 
college.  Hackney,  it  makes  a  part  of  the  whole 
courfe.  Belides  what  was  done  in  a  morning, 
the  Greek    and  Latin    lecftures,    at    Dr,   Dod- 

dridire's. 


Memoirs  or   Dk.  Doddridge.     197 

dridge's,  were  read  every  evening,  ufually  by  the 
afliftant,  though  fometimes  by  himfelf.  If  any 
of  the  pupils  were  deficient  in  the  knowledge  of 
the  Greek,  fuch  of  the  feniors  as  were  {killed  in 
that  language  were  appointed  to  be  their  in- 
flrudlors,  at  feparate  hours.  Thofe  who  chofe 
it  were  taught  the  French  tongue.  The  longer 
Dr.  Doddridge  lived,  the  more  was  he  convin- 
ced of  the  great  importance  of  a  learned,  as  well 
as  a  pious  education,  for  the  chriftian  miniftry. 
Having  found  that  fome  who  came  under  his 
care  were  not  competently  acquainted  with  the 
claffics,  he  formed  a  fcheme  for  afiifting  youths, 
of  a  promifing  genius  and  a  ferious  temper,  in 
their  preparations  for  academical  lludies  ;  and 
he  met  with  good  encouragement  in  the  fcheme 
from  the  contributions  of  many  of  his  friends. 
As  it  commenced  only  two  years  before  his 
death,  much  progrefs  could  not  be  made  in  it  ; 
but  a  fimilar  plan  has  fince  been  adopted  by 
Mr.  Coward's  truftees,  with  fingular  utility^ 
Dr.  Doddridge  was  not,  in  every  inflance,  fo  at- 
tentive to  the  claffical  preparation  of  the  ftudents 
received  into  his  feminary,  as  could  have  been 
wifhed.  Sometimes  he  admitted  ferious  young 
men,  of  perhaps  three  or  four  and  twenty  years 
of  age,  who  had  had  very  little  of  that  prepara- 
tion, and  who  never  diftinguifhed  themfelves,  in 
this  refpedl,  by  their  fubfequent  improvement. 
He  thought,  however,-  that  they  might  be  ufe- 
ful  in  plain  country  congregations ;  which  was 
undoubtedly  the  cafe.  Several  of  them,  though 
not  abounding  in  learning,  fuftained  the  minlf- 
terial  charader  with  a  decent  reputation.  The 
N  ^  Do'ftcr, 


198     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

Dodor,  I  believe,  towards  the  clofe  of  his  ]ife> 
was  of  opinion  that  he  had  gone  far  enough  in 
this  matter. 

Other  things  which  were  read  to  the  flu- 
dents,  during  the  firft  year  of  their  courfe,  were 
fyflems  of  logic,  rhetoric,  geography,  and  meta- 
phylics.  The  logic  was  Dr.  Watts's,  which 
was  very  fully  purfued.  On  rhetoric  the  lec- 
tures were  flender  and  imperfed:,  being  only  a 
flight  enlargement  of  a  fmall  compendium  that 
had  been  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Jennings.  Geogra- 
phy was  better  taught ;  but  of  metaphyfics  there 
was  only  given  at  this  time  a  brief  epitome,  as 
the  great  objeds  it  prefents  were  afterwards  more 
amply  confidered.  Under  thefe  feveral  heads 
the  pupils  were  referred  to  particular  paflages  in 
fuch  authors  as  treated  upon  them.  This  part 
of  the  courfe  was  accompanied  with  lecSures  on 
the  principles  of  geometry  arfd  algebra,  which, 
befides  their  intrinfic  excellence,  were  happily 
calculated  to  form  in  the  young  men  a  iixednefs 
of  attention,  and  a  habit  of  rightly  difcrimina- 
ting,  and  properly  arranging  their  conceptions. 
When  thefe  branches  of  fcience  were  iinifhed, 
the  ftudents  were  introduced  to  the  knowledge 
of  trigonometry,  conic-fedtions,  and  celeftial 
mechanics  ;  under  which  laft  term  was  included 
'4  coUedion  of  important  propolitions,  taken 
chiefly  from  Sir  I faac  Newton,  and  relating  ef^ 
pecially,  though  not  folely,  centripetal  and  cen- 
trifugal forces.  A  fyftem  of  natural  and  expe- 
rimental philofophy,  comprehending  mechan- 
ics, fliatics,  hydrofcaticsi  optics,  pneumatics^ 
and  'ailronorny;^  was  likewife  read;j  with  refer- 
ee ijces 


Memoirs  of   Dr.  Doddridge,     197 

ences  to  the  bsft  authors  on  thefe' fubjedls, 
Mufchenbroek  was  made  life  of  in  my  time 
as  a  text  book,  and  afterwards  Rowning, 
For  the  particular  objedls  to  which  they 
relate,  recourfe  was  had  to  Clare  on  Fluids, 
and  Keill's  Aftronomy.  The  fyfiem  of  na- 
tural philofophy  was  illuftrated  by  a  neat 
and  pretty  large  apparatus.  As  the  pupils  pro- 
ceeded in  their  courfe,  fome  other  articles  w^ere 
alfo  touched  upon.  Mr.  Orton  mentions  par- 
ticularly natural  and  civil  hiftory  ;  but  thefe 
two  objedl's  do  not  fall  under  my  recolledtion. 
At  m. oft,  they  were  fcarcely  enough  conlidered 
to  defer ve  a  diftindl  fpecification.  Such  a  view 
was  given  of  the  anatomy  of  the  human  body  as 
was  entitled  to  applaufe,  and  well  calculated  to 
ir.fpire  the  young  men  with  the  fentiments  of 
veneration  and  love  for  the  fupreme  Artificer, 
In  the  latter  years  of  their  courfe,  a  large  fyftem, 
drav^^n  by  Dr.  Doddridge  him.felf,  Vv^as  read  of 
Jewifli  antiquities,  with  references  to  the  princi- 
pal writers  on  the  fubjed:  ;  in  order  to  illuflrate 
numberlefs  pafiages  of  fcripture,  which  could 
not  other  wife  be  fo  well  underftood.  In  eccle- 
fiaftical  hiftory  theDoc^lor  ledured  from  Lampe's 
Epitome.  On  the  various  fedls  and  dodrines  of 
the  ancient  philofophers  he  occafionally  gave 
fome  inftrudion  from  Budd?Dus's  Compendium  ; 
but  this  matter  was  never  purfued  to  any  confi- 
derabie  extent. 

All  thefe  branches    of  ftudy,  though   of  no 

fmall  confequence,  were,   however,   fubordinate 

to  what  was  the  grand  object  of  the  attention  of 

the  young  men,  during  three  years  of  their  courfe  j 

N  4.  "  \Yhich 


200    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

which  was  Dr,  Doddridge's  Syftem  of  Divinity, 
in  the  largeft  fenfe  of  the  word  ;  including  what 
is  moft  material  in  pneumatology  and  ethics. 
In  this  work  were  contained,  in  as  few  words  as 
perfpicuity  would  admit,  the  principal  things 
which  had  occurred  to  the  author's  obiervation» 
relating  to  the  conftitution  and  properties  of  the 
human  mind,  the  proofs  of  the  exiftence  and  at- 
tributes of  God,  the  nature  of  moral  virtue,  the 
various  parts  of  it,  the  means  fubfervient  to  it, 
and  the  fanftions  by  which  its  precepts,  confider- 
cd  as  the  natural  law  of  the  fupreme  Being, 
are  enforced.  Under  this  head  the  arguments 
for  a  future  life,  deducible  from  the  light  of  rea- 
fon,  were  particularly  examined.  A  furvey  was 
added,  of  what  is,  and  generally  has  been,  the 
ftate  of  virtue  in  the  world  ;  whence  a  tranfition 
was  eafy  to  the  neceflity  of  a  revelation,  the  en- 
couragement to  hope  for  it,  and  the  kind  of  evi- 
dence with  which  it  might  probably  be  attend- 
ed. Hence  the  work  proceeded  to  the  aftual 
evidence  that  may  be  produced  in  favour  of  that 
revelation  which  is  contained  in  the  fcriptures. 
The  genuinenefs,  credibility,  and  infpiration  of 
the  facred  books  were  then  treated  upon  at  large, 
and  vindicated  from  the  moft  material  objedions 
that  have  been  urged  againft  them  by  fceptical 
writers.  This  part  of  Dr.  Doddridge's  lectures 
was,  perhaps  of  all  others,  the  moft  important 
and  ufeful.  Having  laid  a  firm  foundation  in  fo 
ample  a  ftatement  of  the  evidences  of  chriftiani- 
ty,  he  entered  into  a  copious  detail  of  what  were, 
or,  at  leaft,  what  appeared  to  him  to  be^  the 
doctrines  of  fcripture.     In  fo  doing,  though  he 

ftated 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     2ox 

flated  and  maintained  his  own  opinions,  which  in  a 
coniiderable  degree  were  Calviniftical,   he  never 
affumed  the  charader  of  a  dogmatift.     He  re- 
prefented  the  arguments,  and  referred  to  the  au- 
thorities on  both  fides.     The  ftudents  were  left 
to  judge  for  themfelves  ;  and  they  did  judge  for 
themfelves,    with  his  perfect  concurrence  and  ap- 
probation ;  though  no  doubt,  it  was  natural  for 
him  to  be  pleafed  when   their  fentiments  coin- 
cided with  his  own.     Where  this  was  not  the 
cafe,  it   made   no  alteration  in  his  affedlion  and 
kind  treatment,  as  the  writer  of  the  prefent  nar- 
rative   can    gratefully   witnefs.     What   feemed 
moft  evident  to  Dr.  Doddridge  on  the  fubjeds 
confidered  by  him  was  digefted  into  the  form  of 
proportions,   fome  of  which  were  problemati- 
cal ;  and  the  chief  controverfies  relative  to  each 
head  were  thrown  into  fcholia.     For  the  illuf- 
tration   of  all  of  them,   a  large  coUeftion  was 
made  of  references,  in  which  the  fentiments  and 
reafonings  of  the  principal  authors  on  the  points 
in  queftion  might  be   feen  in  their  own  words. 
It  was   the  bufinefs    of  the   pupils  to  read  and 
abridge  thefe  references  in  the  intervals  between 
the  ledlures.     Dr.  Doddridge's  Syftem  of  Divin- 
ity was  his  capital  work,  as  a  tutor.     Much  la- 
bour was  fpent  by  him  upon   it  -,    and  he  was 
continually  enriching  it  with  his  remark  on  any 
new  prududtions  upon  the    various  fubjedls  to 
which  it  extended.     It   was  tranfcribed  by  the 
generality  of  the  ftudents  ;   and  it  mr.y  be  truly 
obferved  concerning  it,  that  it  was  well  calcula- 
ted to  lead  them  gradually  on,  from  the  firft  prin- 
ciples, to  the  moft  important  and  diiiicult  parts 
cf  theological  knowledge.  Befides 


::o2     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

Befides  Dr.  Doddridge's  expofitions  in  the 
family,  critical  leflares  on  the  New  Teftament 
were  delivered  once  a  week,  which  the  young 
men  were  permitted  and  encouraged  to  tranfcribe. 
In  thefe  were  contained  his  obfervations  on  the 
language,  meaning,  and  defign  of  the  facred 
writings,  and  the  interpretations  and  criticifms 
of  the  moft  eminent  commentators.  Many  of 
thefe  obfervations  occur  in  his  F'amilyExpoiitor. 
As  a  fet  of  ledtures,  they  never  attained  to  a  very 
tuU  and  perfedt  form. 

'  Polite  literature^  if  not  coploully  infifled  upon, 
was  npt,  however,  by  any  means  neglected .  No 
inconfiderable  advantage  was  derived  from  the 
Dodor's  being  himfelf  a  man  of  tafte,  and  a 
mafter  of  elegant  compofition.  Without  much 
dired:  inftruftion,  the  remarks  which  he  occa- 
fionally  and  frequently  made  on  the  beft  writers, 
ancient  and  modern,  were  of  great  utiHty.  The 
iludent^,  too,  efpecially  thofe  of  a  clafTical  turn/ 
cherifhed  in  each  other,  by  their  difcuiTions  and 
d.rbates,  the  principles  of  difcernment  with  re- 
gard to  the  beauties  of  authors,  v;hether  in  profe 
or  verfe. 

In  the  laft  year  of  Dr.  Doddridge's  courfe  a 
fet  of  ledures  was  given  on  preaching  and  the 
palloral  care.  Thefe  contained  diredlions  con- 
cerning the  method  to  be  taken  by  the  pupils  to 
lit  them  for  appearing  with  credit  in  the  pulpit  ; 
the  charadter  of  the  chief  practical  divines  and 
commentators  ;  particular  rules  for  the  compo- 
fition, ftyle,  arrangement,  and  delivery  of  fer- 
rnons ;  and  inftrudions  relating  to  public  prayer, 
expofition^  catcchifing,  the  adminiftration  of  the 

ficramentSj, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     20j 

iacramcnts,  and  viliting.  To  thefc  were. added 
many  general  maxims  for  their  converlati'on  and 
conduct  as  mlnifiers,  and  a  variety  of  prudential 
hints  for  their  behaviour  in  the  particular  cir- 
cumfiances  and  connections  in  which  they  might 
be  placed.  A  regard  to  truth  obhges  me  to  ob- 
ferve,  that  in  thefe  ledures,  the  Doflor  carried 
his  ideas  of  condefcenfion  to  the  weaknefs,  and 
accomm.odation  to  the  prejudices,  of  mankind, 
farther  than  fome  perfons  will  entirely  approve. 
Bat  in  fo  doing  he  acted,  I  doubt  not,  with  the 
mofl:  upright  views,  and  from  a  fincere  defire  to 
be  ufefal.  His  fentiments  on  this  head  had  been 
early  flated  by  him  in  his  *'  Free  Thoughts  on 
the  mod  probable  Means  of  reviving  the  Dif- 
fen  ting  Interefc." 

'•While  the  iludcnts,"  fays  Mr.  Orton, ''  were 
**  purfuing  thefe  important  ftudies,  fome  lecftures 
'*  were  given  them  on  civil  law,  the  hierogly- 
*'  phics  and  mythology  of  the  ancients,  the  Eng- 
*'  lilh  hiftory,  particularly  the  hiftory  of  non- 
'*  conformity,  and  the  principles  on  which  a  fep- 
*'  aration  from  the  church  of  England  is  found- 
^*  ed."  Such  ledturcs  might,  I  doubt  not,  be 
occahonally  read  -,  but  they  made  no  ftated  and 
regular  part  of  the  academical  courfe.  None  of 
them,  excepting  thofe  on  nonconformity,  v/ere 
delivered  during  my  refidence  at  Northampton, 
I  fpeak  vv^ith  the  p-reater  confidence  on  the  fub- 
je6V,  as  I  was  never  abfent  from  a  fingle  ledlure 
till  the  laft  m.onth  of  miV  courfe,  v/hen  I  was 
prevented  from  attending  on  tvvo  or  three  Mon- 
days, in  confcqaeace  of  hivin.];  b^en  engaged  at 
a  diitance  as  an  occationa!  o;eacher,     The  health 

which 


204    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

which  enabled  me,  and  the  diligence  that  led  mc 
to  maintain  this  conftant  attendance,  I  have  rea- 
fon  to  refledt  upon  with  thank fulneis  and  plea- 
fure. 

One  day  in  every  week  was  fct  apart  for  pub- 
lic exercifes ;  at  which  times  the  tranflations  and 
orations  of  the  junior  pupils  were  read  and  ex- 
amined. Such  of  the  young  men  as  had  entered 
on  the  ftudy  of  pneumatology  and  ethics,  pro- 
duced in  their  turns  thefes  on  the  feveral  fub- 
je<5ls  affigned  them,  which  were  mutually  oppo- 
led  and  defended.*  Thefenior  ftudents  brought 
analyfes  of  fcripture,  the  fchemes  of  fermons, 
and  afterwards  the  fermons  themfelves,  which 
they  fubmitted  to  the  Dodor's  examination  and 
corredtion  ;  and  in  this  part  of  his  work  he  was 
very  exadt,  careful,  and  friendly  5  for  he  efteemed 
his  remarks  on  their  difcourfes  more  ufeful  to 
the  young  preachers  than  any  general  rules  of 
compofition  which  could  be  offered  them  by 
thofe  who  were  themfelves  mofl  eminent  in  the 
profeflion . 

It  was  Dr.  Doddridge's  care,  that  his  pupils, 
through  the  Vv^hole  feries  of  their  ftudies,  might 
have  fuch  a  variety  of  ledures  weekly,  as,  with- 
out diftradting  them,  would  entertain  and  en- 
gage their  minds.  While  they  were  attending 
and  ftudying  objedls  of  the  greateft  importance, 
fome  of  fmaller  moment,  though  beneficial  in 
themfelves,  were  fet  before  them  at  proper  inter- 
vals. 

♦  "  Thofe,"  fays  Mr.  Orton,  '*  who  had  finiflied  ethics  delivered  ho- 
**  milifs  (as  they  were  called,  to  dt(line:uiih  ihem  from  fermons)  on  iba 
"  natora!  and  moral  perfections  of  God,  and  the  feveral  branches  of 
**  moral  virtue.'*  But  no  fuch  homilies,  as  diftin6>  from  orations  and 
thefes,  occur  to  my  recol left  ion.  Indeed,  I  am  convinced  that  the  dif- 
sirttion  did  not  take  place  in  wy  limt* 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     20^ 

Tals.     It   was  contrived  that  they  (hould  have 
as  much  to  read,  between  each  ledture,  as  might 
keep  them  well  employed  ;  due  time  being  al- 
lowed for  neceffary  relaxations,  and  the  reading 
of  pradical  writers.     The  habitual   perufal  of 
fuch  writers  was  recommended  by  their   tutor 
with  peculiar  energy,   and   Angular  propriety  ; 
for   few  things  can  more  efFedtually  contribute 
to   improve  the  underftanding  and   mend    the 
heart,  and  to  lit  a  young  man  for  minifterial  du- 
ty and  ufefulnefs,  than  a  large  acquaintance  with 
that  moft   valuable  part  of  literature,  the  great 
body  of  Englifh  fermons,  and  of  compofitions 
which  have  a  fimilar  nature  and  tendency.     Dr. 
Doddridge  often  examined  what  books  the  ftu- 
dents  read,  beiides  thcfe  to  which  they  were  re- 
ferred in  their  ledtures,  and  diredted  them  to  fuch 
as   were  beft  fuited  to  their  age,  charafter,  and 
intended  profeffion.     In  this  rcfpeft  they  were 
very  advantageoufly  fituated,  as  they  enjoyed  the 
ufe  of  a  valuable  library,  confifting  of  feveral 
thoufand  volumes.     To  this  library,  under  fome 
prudent  regulations,  they  had  accefs  at  all  times. 
As  their  tutor  was  fenlible  that  a  numerous  collec- 
tion of  books  might  be  a  fnare,  rather  than   a 
benefit,    to  the  fludents,  unlefs  they  had  an  ex- 
perienced friend  to  direfl:  them  in  the  choice  of 
them,  and  in  the  proper  period  for  their  being 
perufed,  he  was  particularly  folicitous  that  they 
might  have  fuitable  advice  on  the  fubjeft.  With 
this  view,  he  fometimes  gave  to  his  pupils    lec- 
tures on   the  books  in  the  library  ;   going  over 
the  feveral  flielves  in  order,  and  informing  them 
of  the  charafter  of  each   work,,  and  its  author, 

io 


zo6     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridgit,' 

(o  fiir  as  he  was  known.     His  obfervations  were 
not  only  inftrii6live  but  pleafant  ;  being  often  in- 
termixed with  anecdotes  of  the  writers  who  were 
mentioned.     It  may  be  truly  faid  of  the  lecftures 
on  the  library,  that  they.difplayed  the  farprifi ng 
extent  of  the  Do6lor's  reading:  and  knowledo-s, 
and  that  they  v/erc  ufeful  in  a  variety  of  refpects. 
My  mind  ilill  retains,  v/ith  advantage  and  plea-, 
fure,  the  imprefnon  of  many  of  his  remarks. 
.    Dr.  Doddridge's  manner  of  ledluring  was  well 
adapted  to  engage  the  attention  and  love  of  his 
pupils,    and    to  promote    their  diligent  ftudy  of 
the    fubjects    upon    which  he  treated.     He  ex- 
pedled  from  theni,  when  they  afiembled  in  their 
refpedive  clafl'cs,    an  account  or  the  reafonings, 
demionftrations,  fcriptures,  or  fads  confidered  in 
the  former  ledures   and  references ;.  and  he  al- 
lowed and  encouraged  them  to  propofe   any  ob- 
jeciions,  which  might  arife  in  their  cv/n  mdnd?, 
or  had  occurred  in  the  authors  they  perufed.    If, 
at  any  time,    their   chjedions    were,  petulant  or 
impertinent,   he  patiently  heard  and  "mildly  an- 
fwered  tlicm  ;  for  he  put  on  no  magifterial  airs, 
but  always  addrefied  them  v/ith  the  freedom  and 
tendernefs  of  a  f^uher.    He  frequently  and  warm- 
ly urged  them  not  to  take  their  fyfiem  of  divini- 
ty from  any  man  or  body  of  men,  but  from  the 
Bible,     It  was  the  Bible   that  he  always  referred 
and  appealed  io,  upon  every  point  in  queftion,  to 
which  it   could  be    fuppofcd  to   give  any  light, 
'.rhe  appearances  of  bigotry  and  uncharitableuefs 
were  reiblutely  checked  by  him  ;    and  he  endea- 
vored tocure  thofe  v/ho  difcovered  any  fymptoms 
of  this    kind,    bv   flievv'ing;  them  what  mi2:ht  be 

faid 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge..     257 

faid  in   fnpport   of  the   principles  they  ciiiliked, 
and    difplaying   the   great  learning  and  excellent 
chara£iers  of  many  by  whom  they  were  efpoufed. 
It  was   Dr.  Doddridge's  great  aim  to  give  his 
pupils  juft  and   fublime  views  of  the  chriftiari 
jTiiniflry,   and  to   lead  them    to    dired:  all  their 
iludies  fo  as  to  increafe  their  abilities  and  quali- 
fications for  that  important  office.     As  he  was 
defirous  that  they  (hould  be  very  ferious.  preach- 
ers, he  was  particularly  anxious  that  they  might 
have  a   deep    fenfe  of  divine   things  upon  their 
own  minds,    and  be    well    acquainted  with  the 
workings  of  the  human  heart  with  regard  to  eter- 
rial  concerns  ;  and  he  recommended  to  them,  in 
the  choice  of  the  fubiefe  upon  v.mich  he  preach- 
ed, and  in  the  manner  of  treating  them,  to  have 
an  efpecial  view  to  the  edification  of  the  bulk  of 
the  people.     Nor  did  he  think   this  inconfiftent 
with  a  due  attention  to  the  elegance  of  compofi- 
tion.     That  the  fludents   might    be  qualified  to 
appear   wdth    eficem    and   honour  in  the  world, 
and  prefide  over  politer  focieties  with  acceptance, 
he  endeavoured  to  form  them  to  an  agreeable  ad- 
drefs  and    behaviour.     This    the  ceconomy  and 
decorum   of  his  ov/n  family  was  v/ell  calculated 
to  produce.     He  obferved,   likewife,   their  way 
of  fpeaking,  inftruftcd  them  in  the  proper  m^an- 
ner  of  pronunciation,    and    labored    to  prevent 
their  contrading   any  unnatural  tone  or  geflure. 
While    he    delivered    his    cautions    upon    thefe 
heads,    fuch    was   his  hunfility,  that  he  warned 
them  not    to  imitate  himfelf  in  an  error  of  this 
kind,    of  which  he    was  fenfiblc,  but  which  hfe 
could  not  entirely  correfi:.*  Aix^liiir 

•  Ortor.  ubi^  fx^pr-?,  p.  76 — 90. 


2o8    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

Another  method  taken  by  Dr.  Doddridge,  to 
qualify  his  pupils  for  appearing  with  early  ad- 
vantage in  the  pulpit,  muft  not  be  forgotten , 
The  fenior  fludents,  before  they  began  to  preach, 
were  accuftomed,   on  the  Sunday  evenings,  to 
vifit  the  neigbouring  villages,  and  to  hold  pri- 
vate meetings  for  religious  worfliip  in  fome  li^ 
cenfed  houles.     It  was  not  uncommon  for  fifty 
or  fixty,  or  perhaps  a  larger  number  of  people, 
to  affemble  on  thefe   occafions.     Two  of  the 
young  men  ufually    went     together ;    when   a 
praftical  fermon  was  repeated,  and  one  of  them 
prayed  before  and  the  other  after  it,  with  proper 
intervals  of  finging.     This  cuftom  was  eminent- 
ly ufeful,    both  in   exercifing  the  talents  of  the 
pupils,   and  in   preparing  them  to  appear  with 
greater  courage   and  freedom  when  they  entered 
upon   the   miniflry.     Sometimes     diftinguifhed 
abilities,  when  accompanied  with    timidity  and 
bafhfulnefs,  have  been  greatly  obfcured  from  the 
want  of  fuch  preparatory  exercifes.    The  cuftom 
was  otherwife  in  no  fmall  degree  beneficial,  as  it 
tended  to  remove  prejudices  againft  the  diffent- 
ers,  and  to  promote  the  ends  of  ferious  religion. 

One  proof  of  Dr.  Doddridge's  zealous  con- 
cern for  the  improvement  of  his  pupils,  was, 
that  he  allowed  them  a  free  accefs  to  him  in  his 
own  fludy,  to  alk  his  advice  with  regard  to  any 
part  of  their  courfe,  and  to  mention  to  him  fuch 
difficulties  as  occurred  to  them  either  in  their 
private  reading  or  their  Icflures.  In  thefe  cafes 
he  treated  them  with  the  utmoft  candour  and 
tendernefs,  and  pointed  out  whatever  he  thought 
would  contribute  to  their  advancement  in  know- 
ledge. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     20^ 

ledge.  While  he  was  thus  foHcitous  to  pro- 
mote their  intelledual  acquirements,  it  was  his 
main  care,  and  what  he  apprehended  to  be  moft 
eflential  to  their  ufefulnefs,  that  they  might  be 
pious  and  virtuous  men.  With  this  view  the 
flrideft  regard  was  paid  to  their  moral  charac- 
ters 5  and  their  behaviour,  when  not  employed 
in  their  ftudics  or  at  lefture,  was  watchfully  in- 
fpedted.  Inquiry  was  made  what  houfes  they 
frequented,  and  what  company  they  kept ;  and 
none  of  the  ftudents  were  permitted  to  be  from 
home  after  ten  o'clock  at  night,  under  penalty  of 
a  confiderable  forfeiture.  When  any  thing  was 
found  irregular  in  their  condu<fi:,  or  there  ap- 
peared o  be  a  danger  of  their  falling  into  tempt- 
ation, zhQ  Dodor  privately  admoniihed  them  in 
the  moft  ferious  and  affedionate  manner.  Nor 
was  he  fatisfied  with  the  external  decorum  of 
their  behaviour,  but  was  anxious  to  perceive  in 
them  the  genuine  evidences  of  real  religion.^' 

Dr.  Doddridge  "  often  expreffed  his  wifli/' 
fays  Mr.  Orton,  *'  that  different  places  of  edu- 
**  cation  could  be  provided  for  perfons  intended 
*'  for  the  miniftry  and  thofe  for  other  profefTions  • 
*'  as  he  thought  it  would  be  better  fecurity  for 
*'  the  religious  charafterof  the  former;  andfomd 
•*  indulgencies  might  be  allov/ed  to  the  others, 
"  efpecially  thofe  of  rank  and  fortune,  that  were 
**  not  proper  for  divinity  ftudents,  as  few  of  them 
*'  were  likely  ever  to  be  affluent  in  their  circum- 
'*  ftances."-f-  Much  as  I  revere  the  memory  of 
my  tutor,  and  fmcere  as  the  refpecft  is  which  I 
entertain  for  his  judgment  on  many  points,  I  do 
O  no; 

•  Orton,  ubi  Aipra*  p.  91 — 56,  •*■  Ibid.  p.  lox. 


210     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

not  agree  with  him  in  this  o'pinion.     Perhaps  it 
might  be  deHvered  by  him  at  feafons  of  peculiar 
difficulty  2ind  embarraffment.     It  is  certain  that 
he  did    not    ftridly  accord  with  it   in  his  own 
pradtice  ;    for  he  took  young  gentlemen  of  for- 
tune into  his  houle  to  the  end  of  his  life ;  and 
during  the  whole  of  my  pupilage,  which  was  at 
a  time  when'  his  academy  was  in  a  very  flourifh- 
ing  ftate,  I  do  not  recoUedl  that  any  ot  the  theo- 
logical ftudents    wxre  corrupted  by  the  others. 
There  is  no  poiTibility  of  forming  any  plan  of 
education,  with  regard  to  which  objeftions  may 
not   be   made,    and     inconveniences    fuggefted. 
ilow  many  dilTertations   and  treatifes  have  been 
WTitten    concerning  the  qucftion  which  is  moft 
preferable,  a  private  or  a  public  education,  with- 
out having   hitherto    brought    the  world  to  an 
uniformity  of  fentiment  upon  the  fubjedt  !   Dif- 
ferent minds,  as  they  are  differently  conftituted, 
and   as   particular  difficulties  ftrike  them,  will ' 
view  matters  of  this  kind  in  a  diverfity  of  lights. 
For  my  own  part,  all  the  knowledge  and  expe- 
rience which    I    have  beert   able  to  obtain  with 
refped:  to  the  point  in  debate,  have  convinced  me 
that  confiderable   advantages  may,   and  do,  arife 
from  the  connection   of  lay-pupils  with  thofe 
who  are  intended  for  divinity. 

^  So  great  was  Dr.  Doddridge's  reputation  as  a 
.  tutor,  that  the  number  of  his  ftudents  was  large, 
being,  one  year  with  another,  thirty-four;  and 
the-  academy  was  ufually  on  the  increafe;  Dur- 
ing the  twenty- two  years  in  which  he  fuftained 
this  office,  he  had  about  two  hundred  young 
men  under  his  care,  of  whom*  one  hundred  and 

twenty 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     2li 

twenty  entered  upon  theminiftry,  and  Ibme  who 
were  defigned  for  it  died  while  under  his  inftruc- 
tions.  Several  of  his  pupils  were  from  Scot-* 
land  and  Holland.  One  perfon,  who  w^as  in- 
tended for  orders  in  the  church  of  England, 
chofe  to  fpend  a  year  or  two  under  his  tuition^ 
before  he  went  to  the  Univerfity.  Others, 
whofe  parents  were  of  that  church,  were  placed 
in  the  Dodtor's  family,  and  were  readily  allowed 
to  attend  the  eftablifhed  worfhip  ;  for  the  con- 
flitution  of  his  academy  was  perfedly  catholic. 
Some  young  divines  from  Scotland,  w^ho  had 
ftudied  and  taken  the  ufual  de9:rees  in  the  Uni- 
verfities,  and  w^ho  had  even  begun  to  preach, 
came  to  attend  his  divinity  ledlures,  and  to  re- 
ceive his  inftrudlions,  before  they  fettled  with 
parishes  in  their  native  country.* 

Such  was  the  manner  in  which  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge filled  up  his  difficult  and  honourable  fta- 
tion  as  a  tutor  ;  and  from  this  furvey  of  his  con- 
du<St,  w^hich  might  have  been  extended  farther, 
and  which  is  in  certain  refpedts  more  copioufly 
dwelt  upon  by  Mr.  Orton,  every  pious  and  ju- 
dicious reader  will  acknowledge  the  wifdom  and 
goodnefs  of  Providence,  in  raifing  up  fo  excel- 
lent a  perfon,  and  preparing  him  for  fo  large  a 
fphere  of  ufefulnefs.-f* 

Mr.  Orton  takes  notice  that  Dr.  Doddridge's 
method  of  education  bears  a  near  refemblance  to 
other  feminaries  of  the  like  kind,  among  the 
Proteftant  Diffenters.  J  But  it  is  proper  to  ob- 
ferve,  that,  of  late  years,  there  has  been  a  con- 
O2  fidefable 

*•  OrtOD,  ubi  fupra,  p.  loa,  103.      f  Ibid.  p.  104.      J  Ibid.  p.  74' 


^12     Memoirs  of  Dr.  DoddridC?^*^ 

fiderable  enlargement  of  the  plan  upon  whicfe 
feveral  of  them  have  been  conftrucSed.  The 
academy  at  Warrington  was  formed  on  the 
fcheme  of  three  independent  ProfeffhrSy  as  they 
might  juitly  be  entitled  5  and  when  we  niiention 
among  them  (not  to  name  other  refpeftable  per- 
ibns)  ftich  men  as  Dr.  Taylor^  Dr.  Aikin,  Dr, 
Prieftley,  Dr.  Reinhold  f^orfter,  Mr.  Gilbert 
Wakefield,  and  Dr.  Enfield,  we  need  not  fay  how 
ably  it  was  in  fuccefllon  fupplled.  The  infti- 
tation  at  Hoxton  was  on  the  fame  foundation  ; 
Dr.  Savage,  Dr.  Rees,  and  myfelf,  being  dif- 
tind:  and  unfubordinate  tutors  in  theological, 
mathematical,  and  philological  departments.  A 
iimilar  arrangement  takes  place  at  the  feininary 
of  our  congregational  brethren  in  Homerton. 
The  new  college  at  Hackney  has  gone  upon  the 
•  plan  of  a  ftill  greater  number  of  preceptors. 
Though  the  academy  heretofore  at  Daventry, 
and  fince  removed  to  Northampton,  and  that  at 
Manchcfter,  retain  the  form  of  one  principal  tu- 
tor, there  are  two  feparate  afiiftants  for  the  phi- 
lofophical  and  claflical  ftudies. 

May  I  be  permitted  to  offer  a  brief  fketch  of 
theological  education  I  A  folid  foun-dation  ought 
to  be  laid  in  a  truly  grammatical  acquaintance 
with  the  Latin  and  Greek  tongues  ^  and  the 
higher  clafiical  writers  Ihould  be  read,  m^ore  or 
lefs,  through  the  whole  courfe.  Hebrew  at 
leaft,  amongft  the  Oriental  languages,  iliould  by 
no  means  be  neglected.  The  different  branches 
of  mathematical  literature,  and  of  natural  philo- 
fophy,  will  demand  a  fcrious  and  diligent  atten- 
tion.    Logic,    metaphyiics,   univerfal  grammar,, 

rhetoric*. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge,     213 

ihetoric,  criticifm,  chronology,  and  hiftory,  are 
objefts  an  acquaintance  with  which  is  not  a  lit- 
tle delirable.  V/ith  refped  to  genf  ral  divinity, 
including  in  that  term  pneumatology  and  ethics, 
I  cannot  help  thinking  that  Dr.  Doddridge's 
courfeof  lectures,  with  proper  additions,  improve- 
ments, and  references  to  more  recent  authors, 
might  ftill  be  made  ufe  oi  with  eminent  advan- 
tage. As  it  points  out,  in  order,  the  moil  im- 
portant objects  of  ftudy,  and  the  writers  on  both 
fides  of  the  queftions  difcuffed,  a  young  man 
will  know  where  to  apply  for  future  informa- 
tion. Jewifh  antiquities  and  ecclefiaftical  hiflo- 
ry  need  fcarcely  to  be  mentioned,  as  they  cannot 
be  forgotten.  If  the  fyftems  of  the  anc^ient  phi- 
lofophers  fhould  be  thought  to  merit  much  re- 
gard during  acadeniic^l  ftudies,  ample  materials 
may  be  colledled  from  Dr.  Enfield's  late  moft 
valuable  work,  A  feries  of  ledtures  on  the 
divine  difpenfations  would  be  peculiarly  ufeful. 
Such  a  {ct  of  ledures  was  begun  by  Dr.  Taylor 
at  Warrington,  but  he  did  not  live  to  complete 
the  defign.  His  work,  fo  far  as  it  v/as  carried, 
is  worthy  of  approbation,  though  the  difcourfes 
are  fometimes  rather  too  declamatory,  and  per- 
haps not  fufficiently  accurate  and  criuQaL  They 
have,  however,  dcfervedly  found  a  place  in  the 
Bifliop  of  LandafF's  Colleftion  of  Theological 
Tracls.*  Another  thing  of  confequence  is  a  fc~ 
ries  of  obferyations  on  the  times  and  occaiions  on 
which  the  books,  efpecially  of  the  New  Tefta- 
ment,  were  written,  the  ancient  copies  and  v.^*-- 
fions,  and  the  principal  commentators.  The 
objedls  I  particularly  allude  to,  are  thofe  v/hicli 

O  2  ar§ 


^74    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge* 

are  particularly  treated  of  by  Michaelis,  Lardner, 
Jones,  and  Campbell.  In  addition  to  all  thefe, 
a  fet  of  preaching  leftures,  more  improved  than 
thofe  of  Dr.  Doddridge,  and  more  adapted  to 
prefent  circumftances,  would  be  an  important 
acquifition.  Vfith  thebefl  inftruClion,  it  is  not 
to  be  expeded  that  all  young  men  fhould  be 
equally  accompliflied.  It  will  be  fufficient  for 
many  that  they  have  a  competent  ftock  of  know- 
ledge, united  with  ferious  dipofitions.  It  is, 
hov/ever,  very  defirable  that  fome  fhould  fo  far 
rife  above  the  common  rank,  as  to  be  able,  in 
their  day,  to  fupport  the  honour  of  revelation 
againft  the  attacks  of  its  enemies,  and  to  appear 
as  defenders  of  the  true  chriftlan  dodirinea.  It 
would  not  be  amifs,  if  a  few,  of  fuperior  capaci- 
ties and  literature,  would,  after  they  quit  the 
femlnaries  of  education,  ftudy  fomev/hat  more 
fyftematically  than  is  frequently  done.  In  that 
cafe,  the  diflenters  would  not  be  at  a  lofs  for 
tutors  in  peculiar  emergencies.  If  I  have  aflum^ 
ed  too  great  a  liberty  in  fuggefting  thefe  hints, 
I  hope  to  be  forgiven  ;  as  I  have  written  not 
merely  from  a  regard  to  the  honour  and  benefit 
of  the  denomination  of  chriftians  to  which  I 
rnore  immediately  belong,  but  with  a  view  to 
the  general  interefts  of  religion  and  learning. 

Since  the  abilities  of  Mr.  Doddridge  were 
fuch  as  called  him  fo  early  in  life  tp  the  import- 
ant office  of  a  theological  tutor,  it  was  natural 
to  expeft,  from  the  lame  talents,  that  it  would 
no;  be  long  before  he  appeared  in  the  world  as 
an  author.  His  firft  diftind:  publication,  which 
xyas   in    1730,   and  print«?d  without  his  name, 

was 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     215 

was  entitled,   '*   Free  Thoughts  on   the   moft 
^'  probrible  Means  of  reviving  the  Diffenting  In-* 
**  terell,    occafioned  by   the  late   Enquiry  into 
**  the  Caufes  of  its  Decay."     The  writer  of  the 
Enquiry   was    for   a    time  fuppofed  to   be  fomQ 
lay -gentleman  ;    but,  in  fad:,    it  came  from  the 
pen  of  a   young  diffenting  minifter,  of  the  name 
of  Gough,   who   afterv/ards    conformed   to   the 
church  ;  and  who,  in  1750,  publifiied  a  volume 
of  fermons,  which  have  confiderable  merit  as  ju^ 
dicious   and  elegant  compofitionSc     Mr.  Dod- 
dridge's pamphlet,  wherein  he  materially  differ- 
ed from  Mr.  Gough  with  regard  to  the  point  in 
queilion,  is  a  model  of  that  candour  and  polite- 
nefs    with   which    remarks  may  be  made  on  an- 
other's   writings   and   opinions.     The  firft  in- 
ftance  in   which  Mr.    Doddridge    diftinguiihed 
himfelf  as   a  pra<5lical  divine  was  in  1732,  when 
he  publiihed   *^  Sermons   on   the  Education    of 
^*  Children."     Thefe  were  principally  intended 
for  the  ufe  of  his  own  congregation  ;    gnd  they 
contain,  in  a  little  compafs,  a  variety  of  impor- 
tant advices  and  affecting  motives,  tending  to  af- 
iift  and  animate  parents   in  the  difcharge  of  fa 
momentous  a  duty.     They  were  accompanied 
with  a  recommendatory  preface  by  Mr.  Some,  and 
have  fmce  gone   through  feveral    editions.      In 
1735,  Mr.   Doddridge's   concern   for  the  rinng 
generation  was  ftill  farther  difplayed,  in   ''  Ser-. 
mons    to  young  People  ;"   being  feveu  in  num^ 
ber,  and  v/hich    have  met  with  equal  fuccefs  in 
the  world.     A  difcourfe  was  printed  by  him  in 
the  fame  year  entitled,  ^'  The  Care  of  the  Soul 
urged  as    the  One  Thing  needful/'     This  was 
O4 


2i6     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

followed,  in  1735-6,  by  a  Sermon  on  the  *' Ab- 
furdity  and  Iniquity  of  Perfecution  for  Con- 
fcience-Sake,  in  all  its  Forms  and  Degrees."  It 
had  been  preached,  I  believe,  on  the  preceding 
fifth  of  November,  and,  when  it  came  from  the 
prefs,  was  recommended  to  the  public,  in  a  fhort 
preface,  by  Mr.  Some,  as  the  beft  he  had  ever 
icQn  on  the  fubjed,  in  fo  narrow  a  compafs.  In 
all  refpefls  it  is  indeed  an  elaborate  and  excellent 
difcourfe,  difplaying  with  great  energy  and  ele- 
gance the  grand  principles  of  toleration  and  re- 
ligious liberty. 

In  the  year  1736  the  two  Colleges  of  the 
Univerfity  of  Aberdeen,  in  Scotland,  concurred 
in  conferring  upon  Mr.  Doddridge  the  degree  of 
Doftor  in  Divinity  ;  upon  which  occafion  his 
pupils  thought  it  a  proper  piece  of  refpedb  to 
congratulate  him  in  a  body.  He  v/as  gratified 
by  their  compliment,  but  told  them,  in  anfwer 
to  it,  "  that  their  learning,  piety,  and  zeal, 
*'  would  be  more  to  his  honour,  and  give  him  a 
*'  thouiand  times  more  pleafure,  than  his  degree,  or 
*'  any  other  token  of  public  efteem."  In  the  fame 
*^  year  he  publiflied  '^Ten  Sermons  on  the  Power 
**  and  Grace  of  Chrift,'*  and  **  the  Evidences  of 
t^  his  glorious  Gofpel."  The  three  laft,  on  the 
'*  Evidences  of  the  Gofpel,*'  were  after  wards  fep- 
arately  printed,  at  the  particular  requeftof  one  of 
the  firfl  dignitaries  ofthe  church  of  England.  They 
contain  a  very  judicious  fummary  of  feveral  of 
the  principal  arguments  in  fupport  of  the  chrif- 
tian  revelation,  and  efpecially  of  thofe  which 
prove  the  genuinenefs  and  credibility  of  the  evan- 
gelical hiflory.     The  author  had  the  great  fatif-? 

foclion 


Memoirs  of  Dp..  Doddridge.     217 

fadion  of  knowing  that  thefe  dlfcourfes  were  the 
means  of  converting  to  the  belief  of  our  holy  rcr- 
li?ion  two  o-entlemen  of  liberal  education  and 
diflinguiflied  abiUties,  who  had  been  fceptical 
upon  this  head.  One  of  thern,  who  had  endea^ 
voured  to  prejudice  others  againft  the  evidences 
and  contents  of  the  gofpel,  became  a  zealous 
preacher  of  chriftianity,  as  v/ell  as  a  lliining  or- 
nament to  it  in  his  life  and  manners.* 

Dr.  Doddridge's  next  appearance  from  the 
prefs  was  on  an  occafion  very  melancholy  and 
affeftino:  to  himfelf  and  Mrs.  Doddridp;e.  This 
was  the  lofs  of  his  eldeft  daughter,  a  very  amia- 
ble and  hopeful  child  of  nearly  five  years  of  age. 
The  fermon  which  he  preached  on  this  event, 
and  which  was  publifhed  in  1736-7,  is  entitled, 
^'  Submiffion  to  Divine  Providence  on  the  Death 
of  Children,  recommended  and  enforced."  It  is 
an  admirable  difcourfe,  which  difplays  in  a  very 
ftrong  and  ftriking  light  the  united  piety  and  ten- 
dernefs  of  the  author's  mind.  Few  fuperior  in- 
ftances  of  pathetic  eloquence  are  to  be  met  with  in 
the  Englilhi  language.  In  i737theDodtor,engaged 
in  an  ordination  fervice  atWifbeach  St.  Peter's,  in 
the  Ifle  of  Ely.  The  part  alloted  him  was  the  fer- 
mon, which  was  printed  under  the  title  of  **  The 
Temperand  Condudl  of  the  primitive  Minifters  of 
the  Gofpel  illuftrated  and  recommended."  Mr. 
William  Johnfton,  the  gentleman  ordained,  af- 
terwards removed  to  Harborough,  and  at  length 
fettled  at  Tunbridge-V/ells,  at  which  place  he 
died,  and  v/here  he  was  well  known  and  juftly 
refpedted   by    many   confiderable  perfons.     He 

was 

9  Qrton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  jS,  112,  jzj,  :i?. 


2i8     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Dopdridge, 

was  the  author  of  a  pronouncing   and  fpelling 
Didionary,  which  appeared  in  i2mo,  in  1764, 
and  which  was  not,  in  fome  refpedis,  without  its 
utihty.     It  is  now,  I  believe,  entirely  fuperfeded 
by  the  far   more  elaborate  and  perfedl  works  of 
Mr.  Sheridan  and  Mr.  Walker.    Dr.  Doddridge, 
in  1737-8,    was  called  to  ofRciate  at  the  funeral 
of  an  old  and  worthy  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  John 
Norris,  of  Welford  in  Northamptonfhire,  who 
had  been  thirty-eight  years  diffenting  minifler  at 
that  place.     The   difcourfe   which  the  Dodlor 
preached,  and  printed,   on  the  occafion,   is  enti^ 
tied,   *'  Pradlical  Reflexions    on  the  Chara6ler 
'*  and  Death  of  Enoch."     On  the  ninth  of  No- 
vember, 1738,   a  day  of  falling  and  prayer  was 
obferved   at  Wellingborough,    on  account   of  a 
dreadful  fire  which  had  deftroyed  a  confiderablo 
part  of  the  town  ;  and    the  fermon^  which  vt^^s 
affigned  to  Dr.  Doddridge,   and  was  in  part  de- 
livered extempore,  was  publiflied,  from  the  beft 
recolleftion   he  could  make  of  it,  at  the  earnel^ 
requeft  of  the  hearers. 

In  1739,  our  author  gave  to  the  public  the 
firft  volume,  in  quarto,  of  his  great  v/ork, 
**  The  Family  Expofitor  ;  or,  a  Paraphrafe  and 
"  Verfion  of  the  New  Teftament  :  with  critic 
^'  cal  Notes,  and  a  pradical  Improvement  of 
**  each  Sediion.'*  This  volume  contained  the 
former  part  of  the  Hiftory  of  our  Lord  Jefus 
Chrift,  as  recorded  in  the  four  Evangelifts,  dif-^ 
pofed  in  the  order  of  an  harmony,  and  was  ufher-, 
cd  into  the  world  by  a  very  numerous  and  hon- 
ourable lift  of  fubfcribers.  The  dedication, 
v/hich  was  to  her  Royal  Highuefs  the  Princefs 

of 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     219 

of  Wales,    affords  one  ofthe  fineil  fpecimens 
which  Dr.  Doddridge  has  given   of  his   talents 
in  elegant  compofition.     If  the    praiies   jfhould 
be  thought  fufficiently  copious,  they  are,  at   the 
fame  time,  mixed  with  iinportant  hints   of  in- 
ilraftion  ;  and  nothing  appears   to   be  faid  but 
what  evidently  came   from    the    heart.     Tlie 
fecond    volume    of    the   work    was    publiflied 
in    1740,    concluding    the    evangelical    hiftbry. 
During  thefe  two  years,  the  Dodor  printed  only 
one  fermon,   which  was  on  the   '^  Necefiity  of 
'*  a   general    Reformation    in    order    to    a    v/ell 
^'  grounded    Hope   of  Succefs  -in  War  y'    and 
which,  had   been   preached  by  him  at  North- 
ampton,   on    the    ninth    of  January,    1739-40, 
being    the  day   appointed   by   his    Majefly   for 
public    humiliation.     It    was    dedicated   to  his 
friend  Colonel  Gardiner.     In  1741,  our  author 
was    called  upon    to    pay   a  tribute   of  refpedl. 
to  the   memory    of  a  w^orthy  diflenting  rnin- 
ifter  in  London,    the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Newman, 
by  delivering  an  oration  at  his  grave,  and  after- 
terward§  committing  it  to  the  prefs.     Soon  after, 
he  publifhed    "■'  The  Scripture  Dodlrine  of  Sal - 
*'  vation  by  Grace  through  Faith,  illuftrated  and 
f^  improved   in   two    Sermons,   the  fubfcance  of 
'^  which  was  preached  at  Rowell  in  Northamp- 
*^  toniliire."     But  t]ie  principal    produdion  of 
Dr.  Doddridge,    during   this  year,   was  a  fet  of 
*'  Praclical  Difcourfes  on  Regeneration,"  which 
had  been  delivered  on  Sunday  evenings,    and  at- 
tended with  remarkable  diligence,  by  niany  per- 
fons  of  different  perfuations.,   tp  fome- cf  whom 
they  were  eminetly  ufeful.     The  tliaradcr  given 

of 


22Q     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

of  them  by  a  foreign  divine,  on  their  being  tranf-. 
lated  into  Dutch,  among  other  high  encomiums, 
was,  that  they  united  orthodoxy  with  modera-^ 
tion,  zeal  with  meeknefs,  and  deep,  hidden  wif- 
dom  with  uncommon  clearnefs  3  that  fimplicity 
flione  in  them  without  coldnefs,  elegance  with- 
out painting,  and  fublimity  without  bombaft.* 

The  publication  of  thefe  difcourfes  was  fuc- 
ceeded  by  that  of  a  fingle  fermon,  entitled,  "  The 
**  Evil  and  Danger  of  neglecting  the  Souls  of 
*'  Men  plainly  and  feriouily  reprefented/'  It 
had  been  preached  in  October,  1741,  at  a  meet- 
ing of  minifters,  at  Kettering  in  Northampton- 
Aire.  When  publifhed,  which  was  in  Febru- 
ary, 1 741 -2,  it  was  dedicated  to  the  aflbciated 
Proteftant  Diffenting  Minifters  in  the  counties' 
of  Norfolk  and  Suftolk,  with  whom  the  author 
had  an  interview  at  Denton,  in  the  preceding- 
fummer,  and  to  whom  he  had  propofed  a  fcheme 
for  the  revival  of  religion,  the  heads  of  which 
are  given  in  the  dedication.  The  only  compo- 
fition  from  the  pulpit  which  was  printed  by  Dr. 
Doddridge  in  1742,  wa$  a  Charge,  delivered  in 
St.  Ives,  Huntingdondiire,  on  the  twelfth  of 
Auguft,  at  the  ordination  of  Mr.  John  Jennings, 
the  fon  of  the  Doftor's  former  tutor.  In  the 
latter  end  of  the  fame  year,  our  author  began 
the  publication  of  the  fole  controverfial  work  in 
which  he  could  properly  ever  have  been  faid 
to  have  engaged.  This  was  occafioned  by  a 
pamphlet,  entitled,  *'  Chriftianity  not  founded 
on  argument,"  which  was  much  fpoken  of  at 
the  time   of  its   appearance,  and  which,  under 

the 

•  Ortor,  ubi  fupra,  p.  liS,  119. 


Memoirs  of  Dk.  Doddridge.     221 

the  form  of  a  zeal  for  orthodox}^  contained  a 
fevere  attack  on  our  holy  religion.  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge's anfwer  was  comprifed  in  three  letters, 
the  fecond  and  third  of  which  were  publifhed 
in  1743.  In  the  firft  he  ftated  the  degree  of 
rational  evidence  for  the  divine  authority  of 
chriftianity,  to  which  an  illiterate,  wxll  difpofed 
perfon  may  attain.  The  fecond  was  employed 
'in  endeavoring  to  ihew  the  reafonablenefs  of  an- 
nexing a  condemnatory  fentence  on  unbelievers, 
as  a  part  of  the  chriftian  revelation.  In  the 
third  the  doflrine  of  divine  influences  w^as  con- 
fidered.*  Thefe  anfwers,  which  are  written 
with  the  utmoft  politenefs  and  candour,  met 
with  a  very  favourable  reception  in  the  world, 
and  the  Doctor  was  thanked  for  them  by  fome 
men  of  diftinguiflied  rank  and  abilities.  The 
lafl  letter  in  particular  was  efleemed  by  many 
thinking  perfons  to  contain  the  beft  illuitration 
and  the  m.oft  rational  and  full  defence  of  the  in- 
fluences  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  human  heart, 
which  had  hitherto  been  publiflied. -f  Dr. 
Doddridge's  other  publications  in  1743  were, 
*'  The  Principles  of  the  Chriftian  Religion,  ex- 
**  prelTed  in  plain  and  QA^y  Verfe,  and  divided 
'*  into  fhort  Leffons,  for  the  Ufe  of  Children 
*'  and  Youth  ;"  and  "  Compaflion  to  the  Sick 
*^  recommended  and  urged/'  in  a  fermon  preach- 
ed at  Northampton  in  favour  of  a  defign  for 
ereding  a  county  hofpital.  In  the  firft  of  thefc 
performances,  which  was  drawn  up  at  the  re- 
queft  of  Dr.  Clark,    it  has  juftly  been  obferved, 

that 

•  DoddfiJge's  Letters,  p.  %?.,  f  Orton,  ubi  fopra,  p.  i;j- 


dii    MEMoiRs  (S^  Dr.  DoDDRiDcr:. 

fhat  cafe,    plalnnefs,   and  elegance,  are  happily 
united.*   -The   verfes   in  general,    are  well  ac~- 
comnnbdated   to   the   purpofe  for   which    they 
^t/efe  intended  -,   but  they  might  have  had  a  flill 
wider  circuhtion,  and  have  been  more  exteii- 
fively  ufeful,  if  no  doftrine  of  a  difputable  na- 
tufe  had  been  introduced.     There  is  feme  rea- 
fon   to    believe  that   they   wtve   made   ufe    of 
in   the   education    of  the   royal    children. J     I 
have  a  full  reccolle^tion  of  the  zeal  and  adtivity 
with  which   Dr.   Doddridge   entered    into  the 
fcheme  of  ereding  an   infirmary  for  Northamp- 
ton flii  re.     The  fuccefs  of  the  defign  was  much 
owing  to  his  exertions.     His    difcourfe   in  re- 
commendation of  it,  which  was    dedicated   to 
the  Earl  of-  Halifax,  is  indeed  a  moft  excellent 
one,  and  was  charadlerifed  by  Dr.  Oliver,  in  a 
letter  to  the  author,   as    follows  :    **   Horace's 
*^  obfervation,  diffidk  eji  proprie  communia  dicer Cy 
*^  makes  your  fermon  on  the  eredlingyour  coun- 
*'  ty  infirmary  the  more  valuable.     Public  chari- 
^Vties  have   long  been  fo  trite  a  fubjed  in  the 
**  pulpit,  that  we  fcarcely  expedt  any  thing  new 
*'  from    the  ablefl  hands.     But  you,  Sir,Jiave 
**  treated  this  worn  out  fubjed  in  fo  mafterly  a 
**  manner,  that  the  reader  will  find  many  of  his 
*'  fofteft  paflions  awakened  into  tendernefs  and 
*'  compalTion    towards    the   fick   and  diflrefTed, 
"  which  had  Hept  benumbed  under  the  warmed 
*'  influences  of  the  preceding  difcourfes  on  that 
*'  afiedling   topic.     You    write  as  if  you  felt, 
**  while  fome  others   feem  to  defi re  that  their 
*'  brethren  (hould  feel  what  themfelves  are  infen- 

''  fible 

•  Orton,  ubi  fupn;  p.  Ii7<  X  Lettas,  ubi  fupra,  p,  S9. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     223 

**  fible  of.    They  write  from  the  head,  but  you 
''  from  the  heart/'* 

Towards   the   clofe   of  the   fame  year.    Dr. 
Doddridge  became  a  member  of  a  Philofophical 
Society   which   was    formed   at    Northampton, 
confifting   of  feveral   ingenious    and  refpedtable 
gentlemen    in  that  town  and  its  neighbourhood. 
During  the  courfe  of  their  meetings  in  1744,  he 
exhibited  two  papers,   the   one  on  the  Dodtrine 
of  Pendulums,    and   rhe   other  on  the  Laws  of 
Communication  of  Motion,   as  well  in  elaftic  as 
in  non-elaftic  bodies.     The  moft  material  pro- 
pofitions  relating    to   both  were   fet  in  fo  plain 
and  eafy  a  light  in  thefe  papers,  that  he  w^as  re- 
quefted  to   permit  tranfcripts  of  them  to  be  de- 
pofited   among    other  communications    of  the 
gentlemen  concerned^    fome  of  which  appear  to 
have   been   curious  and  ufeful.-f*     Our  author's 
name   occurs    in   the  Tranfadtions  of  the  Royal 
Society.     Three  papers  were  written  and  com- 
municated  by  him    to   that    fociety,  which,  if 
they  were  not  of  the  firft  confequence,  ferve  to 
fliow  the  aftivity  of  his  mind,  and  his  attention 
to  different  branches  of  fcience. 

'  The  year  1745,  was  difhinguifhed  in  Dr. 
Doddridge's  life  by  the  appearance  of  one  of  the 
moft  popular  and  one  of  the  moft  ufeful  of  his 
pradtical  works.  This  was  *'  The  Rife  and 
Progrefs  of  Religion  in  the  Soul,"  illuftrated 
in  a  courfe  of  ferious  addreffes,  fuited  to  perfons 
of  every  characler  and  circumftance,  with  a  de- 
vout meditation  or  prayer  added  to  each  chapter. 

Dr. 

*  Ibid.    p.    26T,  2.62. 

t  GsnUeman's  Magazine,  vol.  xvi.  p.  475—477. 


224     Memoirs  of  Dr^  Doddiiidg£; 

Dr.  Watts  had  formed  a  fimilar  defign  ;  but  hav^ 
ing  been  prevented  from  the  execution  of  it  by 
his  growing  infirmities,  he  recommended  it  to 
our  author,  as  the  beft  quahfied  of  all  his  ac- 
quaintance for  difcharging  it  in  the  manner  that 
would  be  acceptable  and  beneficial  to  the  world. 
It  was  with  fome  relud:ance  that  Dr.  Doddridge, 
amidft  his  various  other  weighty  concerns,  agreed 
to  comply  with  the  requeft  of  his  venerable  friend ; 
but  it  was  urged  with  an  importunity  that  he  could 
not  refift ;  and  he  had  afterwards  the  higheft  rea- 
fon  to  rejoice  in  his  compliance.  When  the  work 
was  finifhed.  Dr.  Watts  revifed  as  much  of  it 
as  his  health  would  permit.  This  book  was 
not  only  well  received  by  the  difienters,  but 
met  with  an  equal  reception,  and  the  warmell 
applaufes,  from  feveral  perfons  of  great  emi- 
nence for  rank,  learning,  and  piety,  both  clergy 
and  laity,  in  the  eftabliflied  church."^  Dr. 
Ayfcough,  formerly  preceptor  to  the  children  of 
Frederic  Prince  of  Wales,  fpeaking  of  it,  fays, 
*'  I  prefented  yourlaft  book  to  her  Royal  High- 
*^  nefs,  and  ought  long  ago  to  have  acquainted 
**  you  with  her  mod  gracious  acceptance  of  it, 
*'  and  that  I  vvas  commanded  to  return  you  her 
**  thanks  for  it.  There  is  indeed  fuch  a  fpirit 
'*  of  piety  in  it,  as  deferves  the  thanks  of  every 
•*  good  chriflian.  Pray  God  grant  it  may  have 
*•  its  proper  effed:  in  awakening  this  prefent 
*^  carelefs  age,  and  then  I  am  fure  you  will  have 
•*  your  end  i;i  publiflung  it.^'-f  Dr.  Thomas 
Hunt,  at  that  time  of  f  lertford  College,  but  af- 

terwards 

*  Orton,  ubi  fiiprn,  p.  119,  lao. 

•\  Letters  to  an<J  ficm  Dr.  Doddridge,  p.  "li!. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     225 

tsrwards  Canon  of  Chrift  Church,   and  Regius 
ProfelTor  of  Hebrew  in  the    Univerfity    of  Ox- 
ford, thus  expreffed  himfelf  concerning  the  fame 
work.      '^  With    our    thanks  for  the  favour  of 
^  your  good  company,  be  pleafed  to   accept  of 
^  our   mofc   hearty   acknowledgments   for  your 
'  kind   prefent    of  your    excellent  piece  on  the 
'  Rife  and  Progrefs  of  Religion  in  the  Soul  :  a 
'  performance  which  cannot  fail  of  doing  m.uch 
'  good  in  the  world,  as  it  is  judicioufly  contriv- 
'  ed  to  engage  the  attention,    and  improve  the 
'  minds  of  all  forts  of  readers  ;  being  fo  plain  as 

*  to  be  intelligible  to  the  lowelt  under/landing, 
'  at  the  fame  time  that  it  is  fo  elegant,  as  to 
'  gratify  the  higheft.  You  may  affure  yourfelf, 
'  Sir,  that  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  my  moft 
"  prefling  engagements  to  hinder  me  from  read- 
'  ing  fuch  a  w^ork  as  this,  and  I  hope  I  am  much* 
^  the  better  for  having  done  fo.     Nor  would  it 

*  have  been  kind  to  my  dear  Mrs.  Plunt,  not  to 

*  have  given  her  an  opportunity  of  perufing  a 
'  book,  from  which  I  rnyfelf  had  received  fo 
'  much  benefit.  I  therefore  no  fooner  laid  it 
'  out  of  my  own  hands,  but  I  put  it  into  her's, 
^  where  I  afterwards  oftentimes  found  it,  and 
^  cannot  eafily  tell    you  how  m.uch  fhe  was  af- 

*  fefted  by  it,  nor  defcribe  the  gratitude  fhe 
'  profelles  to   owe  to  her  worthy  inftrudtor/'-f* 

The   Duchefs    of  Somerfet  was  equally  pleafed 
with    the   work.      In   a    letter,    v/ritten  to  Dr. 


Doddridge 
**  pkafure 
''  writings 

in 

ofb' 

till 

nng 

I 

0,   fhe 
acqua 

^vas    at 
P 

fays^r 
nted 
Bath 

''  I  had 

with  any 

three  yes 

not  the 

of  your 

.rs   ago, 

*  with 

t  Ibid.  p. 

335»  ' 

136. 

226     MexMoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

**  with  my  poor  Lord,  when  an  old  acquaintance 
**  ofmine,  tlie  Dowager  Lady  Hyndford,  rccom- 
•*  mended  me  to  read  the  Rife  and  Progrefs  of 
''  Religion  in  the  Soul  ;  and  I  may  with  truth 
*'  aflure  you,  that  I  never  was  fo  deeply  affedted 
**  with  any  thing  I  ever  met  with  as  with  ^hat 
*'  book ;  and  I  could  not  be  eafy  till  I  had  given 
**  one  to  every  fervant  in  my  houfe,  who  ap^ 
*'  peared  to  be  of  a  ferious  turn  of  mind/'*  A 
perfon  of  diftinguifhed  literature  and  goodnefs 
always  carried  the  work  with  him,  declaring 
that  it  was  every  thing  on  the  fubjedt  of  ferious 
and  pradical  religion.  It  foon  went  through 
many  editions,  and  ftill  continues  to  be  frequent- 
ly reprinted.  Nor  has  the  publication  of  it  been 
confined  to  England,  but  extended  to  Scotland 
and  America.  It  has  been  tranflated  abroad,  and 
the  author  received  many  teilimonies  from  for- 
eign parts  of  its  acceptance  and  ufefulnefs,*!*  If 
to  fuch  a  number  of  encomiums  the  opinion  of  a 
difTenting  minifter  may  be  fubjoined,  I  may  give 
the  words  of  Mr.  Barker  :  *'  That  book  fhould 
**  be  written  in  all  languages  in  letters  of  gold. ":|; 
Not,  however,  entirely  tD  confine  myfelfto 
the  voice  of  praife,  I  cannot  forbear  adding  fome 
flridlures  that  came  from  the  pen  of  a  particular 
and  intimate  friend  of  Dr.  Doddridge's,  Nathan- 
iel Neal,  Efq;  an  eminent  Solicitor  in  London, 
who  united  the  virtues  of  the  heart  with  a  very 
fuperior  underllanding  and  judgment,  and  who 
preferved  the  fmcereft  fidelity  in  the  midfl  of  the 
vvarmefl  aftedion.     '*  I  am,"  fays  he,  in  a  letter 

to 

*  Ibid,  p  466.  f  Orton,  ubi  fupra. 

i  Ltttei?,  ubi  fupra,  p.  141. 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Doddridge.     227 

to  the   author,    "  much  obliged  to  you  for  your 
*'  kind  prefent  of  the  Rife  and  Progrefs  of  Reli- 
<«  gmi  in  the  SoiiL     I  read  it  over  with  pleafure, 
*'  and  hope,  not  without  fome  advantage  from  a 
''  book,    which  I  truly  think  is  calculated  for 
''  very  confiderable  ufefulnefs.     The  ferious  fpi- 
**  rit  it   breathes  muft  be  acceptable  to  all  who 
*«  retain  any  feeds  of  piety  ;   and  the  compafs  of 
<*  imagination,    and  force  of  expreffion,   which 
''  diftinguiili  themfelves  throughout  the  whole 
<'  of  the  performance,  fhow  that  the  beauties  of 
*'  the  facred  writings  are  not  defpifed  by  all  the 
«*  matters    of  human   eloquence.     This   might 
«'  fuffice  for  me  to  fay  concerning  a  book  that  is 
^*  fo  univerfally  admired  by  thofe  to  whofe  judg- 
'^  ment  and  piety   I  pay  the  greateft    reverence ; 
<'  and  all  perhaps    that  in  prudence   I  ought  to 
«'  fay;  if  I  merely  confulted  the  preferying  that 
«*  credit  you  have   hitherto  been  fo  kind  as  to 
<^  give  to  my   underftanding.     But  as  I  had  ra- 
*'  ther  deferve  your  friendfliip  than  gain  yourap- 
*'  plaufe,  and    be  efteemed  injudicious  than  in- 
''  fmcere,  I  will  venture    (fince  you  have  delired 
*'  it)  to  fend  a  remark  or  two  on  this  perform- 
**  ance. 

"  Your  book  propofes  to  drav/  a  plan  of  a  re- 
''  ligious  difpofition,  or  habit,  from  its  firfl 
''  foundation  to  its  higheft  perfeclion  in  the  pre- 
'*  fent  ftate  ;  and  to  confider  it  in  its  vrrious  fta- 
^<  ges  and  circumftances,  agreeably  to  that  varie- 
<<  ty  which  there  is  in  the  circumftances  and  at- 
*'  tainments  ofchriftians.  But  is  it  not  a  juft 
'*  objedlion  to  this  performance,  if  there  arc 
*•  many  chriftians  v;ho  are  confcioiTS  to  them- 
p  2,  *     fcive? 


228     Memoirs  et  Dk;  VounvLiVGt. 

*'  felves    that    the    foundation   of  their  religioiis  • 
**  terrjper  and  pradice  was  not  laid  in  thofe  prin- 
**  ciples  and  that  viev^^  of  things  which  you  there 
*'  delGribe  ?  Which  I    fuppofe  muft  be  the  cafe 
**  of  thofe  who  do  not  in  a  good  degree  en:ibrace 
"^  the  Calviniflical  do£lrines,   and  in   fome  mea- 
*'  fure   of  many  that  do  :  for  I  am  inclined  to 
'*  think,    that    different   principles  do  not  more 
*'  variouily  affeft  and  influence  the  minds  of  men, 
*'  than  the   fame  principles  do  different  minds,> 
*'  eipecially     young    ones,     according     to    the 
*'  lirmnefs     or     weaknefs    of    the     mind,    or 
''  as  the    prevailing   turn  is   fprightly  or  melan- 
*^  choly.     Confidering,    therefore,    the    flate  of 
''  thechriftian  church  univerfally,  may  it  not  be 
*'  reafonable  to  allow  a  greater  variety  in  the  me-^ 
^'  thods,  which  divine   wlfdom  and  mercy  take, 
*'  to  bring   iinful  men  to   the  love  and  pradice 
'*'  of  religion  ?  You  will  obfcrve,  the  objedion 
*'  does  not  infer,   that  the  method  you  prefcribe 
'^  is  not  themoft  general,  or  the  befl  adapted  tobe- 
*'  gin  and  carry  on  the  chriflian  life  in  the  foul- 
'^^  of  man,  but  whether  it  be  the  only  one. 

''  If  I  might  venture  to  add  another  lemark, 
*'  it  fliould  be  this  :  whether  your  rules  and  di- 
*'  redions  for  promoting  the  chriftian  life  do 
'^  not  require  more  time  to  be  fpent  in  the  ex- 
^^  ercife  of  devotion  and  in  the  inftrumental  du- 
*'  ties  of  religion,  than  is  confident  with  that 
*'  attention  to  the  altairs  of  this  life,  which  is 
"'  neccffary  for  the  generality  of  chriftians  ;  and 
**  whether  the  propofmg  more  to  be  done  than 
*^  can  (from  a  view  of  the.,  capacities  and  op- 
'^^  porturiilies   of  chriffian's    in    general)   be  ex-- 

peded 


Memoirs   of   Dr.  Doddridge.     229* 

■**  peeled  fhould  be  done,  mny  not  "d'ifccurao;e 
*^  feme  not  to  attempt,  and  others  not  topfoceed 
**  in  a  coiirfe  of  religion  ?  What  h  fit  to  be  dor.e 
^'  by  Ibme  perfons,'and  in  fome  fpecial  circum- 
^•'  ftances,  may  not  be  expelled  from  the  greater 
•*'  number  of  chriflians  :  and  care  fliould  be  tak- 
'^  en,  that  the  heights  of  piety,  to  which  fome 
**  devout  fouls  have  foared,  do  not  become  mat- 
'*  ter  of  difccuragement  to  young  chriftians,  or 
**  thofe  of  an  ordinary  rank. 

*^  It  is  not  improbable  that  I,  who  r^ad  over 
^'  this  book  with  a  view  and  defire  to  difcover 
*'  and  amend  my  own  faults,  an<l  not  to  find  any 
*^  in  that,  may  not  have  fufficiently  attended  to 
*^  fome  paffages  that  may  (liow  both  thefe  re- 
*'  marks  impertinent  ;  or  if  there  arc  not  fuch 
'*  paffages  in  this  book,  I  myfelf  can  point  out 
**  to  fome  in  other  of  your  pieces  (particularly 
**  that  on  F^egeneration,  if  my  memory  does  not 
*^  greatly  fail  me)  which  guard  againft  both  thcfc 
•^  objedions  in  very  clear  and  exprefs  terms.  But 
^*  whatever  bs  the  fate  of  my  remarks,  when  I 
*'  venture  to  attack  the  accuracy  of  your  compo- 
^'  fitions,  I  have  a  fare  and  tried  retreat  in  the 
**  candour  and  benevolence  of  your  difpbfition, 
*^  which  conceals  all  the  vveakneiles  of  your 
^'  friends  •  and,  I  fpeak  it  from  my  own  repeat- 
"  ed  experience,  magnifies  any  well-intentioned 
**  attem:pt  into  an  adt  or  evidence  of  conlpicuous 
*'  wifdom  or  virtue."'* 

In  the  funimer  of  1745,  Dr.  Doddridge  print- 
ed a  Charge,  which  had  been  delivered  in  Nor- 
\vich,  at  the  ordination  of  the  Rev.   Mr.  Abra^- 
P   3  hanx 

*  Ibid.  p.  364— 2 66,  '  ' 


t^o    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

ham  Tozer  5  and  in  the  month  of  October,  in 
the  fame  year,  he  was  called  to  the  painful  and 
affeding  office  of  preaching  a  funeral  fermon  on 
the  death  of  his  friend,  the  Hon,  Col.  James 
Gardiner,  who  was  flain  in  the  battle  at  Prefton- 
Pans,  on  the  twenty-firft  of  September  preced- 
ing. The  title  of  the  difcourfe  is  ''  The  Chrif- 
tian  Warrior  animated  and  crowned  f '  and  it  wag 
accompanied  with  a  dedication  to  the  Colonel's 
pious  and  excellent  widow.  This  fermon,  as 
might  be  expedted  from  the  peculiar  circumftan- 
ces  by  which  it  was  occa{ioned,.had  a  very  ex- 
teniive  circulation ;  and  it  received,  at  the  fame 
time,  many  encomiums,  ^*  I  thank  you,''  fays 
Mr.  Barker,  "  for  your  fine  fermon  on  the  la- 
^*  mentable  death  of  that  gallant  chriftian,  as  well 
^'  as  foldier.  Colonel  Gardiner.  I  believe  every 
"  body  will  allow  it  to  be  a  fine  difcourfe,  and 
^'  grant  that  your  afFeftion  has  not  tranfported 
*'  you.  beyond  the  bounds  of  decency  and  pru- 
**  dence.''*  The  applaufe  of  Dr.  Hunt  of  Ox- 
ford was  ftill  more  fpecific.  ''  Many  thanks  to 
*'  you  for  your  excellent  fermon  on  the  death  of 
•*  the  valiant  and  worthy  Colonel  Gardiner.  I 
*'  was  moft  fenfibly  affefled  with  the  perufal  of 
'Mt ;  nor  can  I  eafily  tell  you  whether  I  was 
^'  more  pleafed  with  the  ingenuity  of  the  dif- 
^*  courfe,  or  moved  with  the  tendernefs  of  the 
'^  application.  Both  your  lamentation  over  your 
"''  dead  friend,  and  your  moving  epiftle  to  his 
*'  difconfclate  widow,  are  plainly  formed  on 
*'  Horace's  plan.  Si  vis  me  fiere^  &c.  and  there- 
''  fore  it  is  no  wonder  they  fiiould  draw  tears 
^^  from  your  readers,    as,    I  aflure  you,  they  did 

*'  pot 

^  Letters,  ubi  fupra,  p.  joq. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     231 

"^^  not  only  from  my  dear  Mrs.  Hunt,  but  my- 
*^  felf,  in  great  abundance.  How  mournfully 
'^'^  plealing  to  Lady  Frances  muft  the  honour  you 
^^  have  done  her  gallant  confort  be  !  And,  as 
*'  for  the  deceafed  hero  himfelf,  methlnks,  I  hear 
**  every  brave  foldier  in  the  Britilh  army,  falut- 
^'  ing  his  allies  (thus  diftinguiflied  by  your  prai- 
*'  fes)  in  the  words  of  Alexander,  when  he  flood 
**  before  the  tomb  of  Achilles,  and  reflected  oa 
**  the  honour  that  had  been  done  that  famous 
**  warrior  by  Ilomer's  verfes, 

*^  O  fortunate  Gardinere,  qui  ti323  virtutis 
"  TaleiB  praeconcm  in  veneris  ! 

^'  At  leaft,  I  am  fure  thefe  would  be  their  fenti^ 
*^  ments,  were  your  fermon  put  into  their  hands, 
*'  as  I  could  heartily  wifli  (for  the  animating 
*'  the  courage  of  the  troops)  it  were.  I  need 
^^  not  tell  you  how  glad  I  fhould  be  to  fee  the 
*'  remarkable  paffages  of  a  life^  the  conclufion  of 
^*  which  is  fo  glorious.''^ 

Dr.  Doddridge's  next  appearance  from  the 
prefs  was,  likewife,  in  a  funeral  difcourfe,  which 
was  preached  at  Northampton,  in  May,  1746, 
on  occaiion  of  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  James 
Shepherd.  Mr.  Shepherd  was  a  worthy  young 
minifter,  not  quite  twenty- two  years  of  age,  who 
died,  in  confequence  of  a  ihort  illnejfs,  foon  after 
he  had  flnifhed  his  academical  ftudics,  and  had 
received  an  invitation  to  the  paftoral  charge  of  a 
difTcnting  congregation  at  Coggeiliall,  in  ElTex. 
Nine  fermons,    the    whole  which    he  Ivad  ever 

madr.j 

*  IbiJ.  p.  337,  33S.  . 


232     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge', 

made,  were  collected  together,  and  printed  in- a 
fmall  volume,  1748. 

In  1747,  Dr.  Doddridge,  agreeably  to  the 
promife  he  had  before  made,  publiflicd  ''  Some 
remarkable  paffages  in  the  Life  of  the  Hon.  Col. 
James  Gardiner  /'  a  work  which  has  gone  thro* 
various  editions.  It  was  the  author's  delign,  in 
this  work,  not  merely  to  perform  a  tribute  of 
gratitude  to  the  memory  of  an  invaluable  friend, 
but  of  duty  to  God  and  his  fellow-creatures  ; 
as  he  had  a  cheerful  hope  that  the  narrative 
would,  under  the  divine  bleffing,  be  the  means 
of  fpreading  a  warm  and  lively  knk  of  religion. 
Several  of  the  Dodlor's  Jiterary  correfpondents 
thought  highly  of  the  performance.  *'  I  own,'* 
fays  Mr.  Barker,  *'  I  was  not  without  my  fears, 
''  left  your  love  to  that  excellent  perfon  fhould 
*'  have  overcharged  fome  of  your  paffages  with 
**  panegyric  ;  and  the  extraordinary  manner  of 
'^  his  converfion  have  given  fome  occafion  to  the 
^^  prefent  age  to  charge  him  or  you  with  enthu- 
*^  liafm.  But  in  reading  the  book  I  was  aQ:ree- 
^^  ably  furprifed  and  exceedingly  pleafed  5  and 
*'  have  the  fatisfadion  to  acquaint  you,  that  your 
'^  friends  here  are  of  opinion  that  you  have  per- 
*'  formed  what  you  have  undertaken  in  a  moft 
**  excellent  manner,  and  that  it  is  fuited  to  do  a 
''  great  deal  of  good. "-j-  Mr.  Neal,  who  wrote 
to  the  author  before  he  had  read  the  whole  work, 
expreffed  himfelf  in  the  following  terms.  *'  The 
''  receipt  of  Colonel  Gardiner's  Life  calls  upon 
'*  me  for  a  particular  acknowledgment.  I  have 
'■'-  yet  only  had  the  pleafure  of  reading  fome  part 

**  of 

-J-  L'itters,  ubi  fuprS,  p.  jop,  jio. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge,     233 

^**  of  it;  and  though  I  know  you  would  rather 
^*  fee  me  improved  by  it,  than  hear  me  commend 
"^^  it,  yet  as  the  latter  will,  I  hope,  be  no  obftruc- 
*^  tion  to  the  former,  I  muft  own  that,  as  far  as 
*'  I  have  gone,  I  think  it  is  writen  in  a  VQvy  in- 
^^  ilructive  and  entertaining  manner  -,  and  I  was 
''  charmed  with  the  dedication,  the  concluding 
"  period  of  which  is  worthy  the  eloquence  and 
**  politenefs  of  Pliny,  and  the  piety  and  energy 
''  of  St.  Paul.  But  I  will  fay  no  more  tilll 
*^  have  perufed  the  whole  piece. "'^" 

Perhaps  it  may  be  thought  fomewhat  remark- 
able, that  the  learned  Warburton  fiiould  exprefs 
the  moft  unqualified  approbation  of  the  whole 
work.  *'  I  had  the  favour,"  fays  this  eminent 
writer,  "  of  your  letter,  and  along  with  it  Colo- 
^'  nel  Gardiner's  life,  which  I  have  juft  read 
**  through  with  very  great  pleafare.  Nothing 
^'  can  be  better  or  more  judicious  than  the 
**  writing  part.  Many  confiderations  made  the 
^'  fubjedl  of  great  importance  and  expediency. 
*'  The  celebration  of  worthy  men  who  facrificed 
**  themfelves  for  the  fervice  of  their  country  ; 
*'  the  tribute  paid  to  private  friendlhip  ;  the  ex- 
*'  ample,  particularly  to  the  foldlery,  of  fo  much 
"  virtue  and  piety,  as  well  as  coui-age  and  patri- 
^*"  otifm  ;  the  fervice  done  to  the  iurvivors  of 
*'  their  families,  are  luch  important  confidera- 
'*  tions  as  equally  concern  the  writer  and  the 
'^  public.  I  had  a  thou  land  things  to  remark  in 
'*  it  which  gave  me  pleafare.  But  I  have  room 
*'  but  for  two  or  three.  The  diftindioii  you 
*^  fettle  between  piety  and  enthuualrn  in  the  78th 

''  P-^ge, 

*  IblJ.  p.  -'0, 


534    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

**  page,  is  highly  juft  and  important,  and  very 
*'  neceffary  for  thefe  times,  when  men  are  apt  to 
**  fall  into  the  oppofite  extremes.  ISior  am  I 
*'  lefs  pleafed  with  your  obfervations  on  the  mu^ 
**  t  Hated  form  of  chrijlianity  ^  in  the  130th  page  : 
*'  we  fee  the  terrible  effcds  of  it.  The  fame 
**  pleafure  your  i62dand  163d  pages  afforded 
*^  me.  Your  hymns  are  truly  pious  and  poeticah 
'*  The  note  at  the  bottom  of  page  176  is  fine. 
**  I  entirely  agree  with  your  fentiments  con- 
*^  cerning  the  extraordinary  circumftance  of  the 
*'  good  man's  converfion.  On  the  whole,  the 
*^  book  will  do  you  honour  ;  or  what  you  like 
*'  better,  will  be  a  blefling  to  you  by  its  becom- 
**  ing  an  inftrument  of  pubhc  good.^-f* 

The  chief  obfervation  that  Mr.  Orton  makes 
on  the  work  is,  that  *^  the  author  had  the  plea- 
•*  fure  to  hear  of  fome  inftances  in  which  it  had 
*\  anfwered  his  defires  and  hopes  ;  though  many 
*'  thought,  and  perhaps  juftly,  that  he  too 
**  much  indulged  the  emotions  of  private  friend- 
*'  (hip  and  affection  in  the  compofition."*  In 
the  truth  of  this  remark  I  entirely  concur.  Co- 
lonel Gardiner  was  indeed  a  man  of  a  moft  ex- 
cellent charafter  ;  but  that  charadter  was  tinc- 
tured with  enthufiafm  and  religious  bigotry. 
His  virtues  were  of  the  awful  kind.  I  remem- 
ber well  that  his  afioedt  was  the  afpe6l  of  dig- 
nity ;  but  this  dignity  was  mixed  with  an  au- 
fbrity  of  appearance  and  manner,  which  was 
not  prepoffeffi ng  to  the  minds  of  the  ftudents 
belonging    to    the    academy  at    Northampton. 

The 

■\  Letters,  ubi  fupra,  p.  204,  205. 
*  Cftoi),  ubi  fupra,  p.  114. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     235 

The  affedlion  of  his  eldefl  fon  to  his  father,  had,  I 
know,  more  of  fear  united  with  it  than  is  ulbally 
defirable  in  a  child  towards  a  parent:  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge undoubtedly  wxnt  too  far,  when,  in  his 
funeral  fermon  for  Colonel  Gardiner,  he  deli- 
berately declared,  that  it  was  hard  for  him  to 
fay  where,  but  in  the  book  of  God,  the  Colonel 
found  his  example ^  or  where  he  had  left  bh 
cquaL^  The  Doftor  was  himfelf  a  faperior 
charadter.  Let  it,  however,  be  remembered, 
that  if  our  author  was  fomewhat  extravagant  in 
the  praifes  of  his  friend,  he  faid  nothing  of  the 
truth  of  which  he  was  not  fully  perfuaded. 

It  is  not  my  defign  to  enter  fpecincally  into 
the  ilory  of  Colonel  Gardiner's  extraordinary 
converfion.  That  the  impreifion  made  upon 
his  mind  was  in  a  dream,  is  fufficiently  intima- 
ted to  be  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Doddridge,  though 
the  Colonel  himfelf  believed  it  to  be  a  miracu- 
lous viiion.  As  a  dream  it  may  very  rationally 
be  accounted  for,  from  the  predifpofing  circum- 
ftances.  He  had  received  a  llridily  pious  edu- 
cation ;  he  had  never  rejected  the  principles, 
though  he  had  departed  from  the  pra(fl:ice  of 
chriftianity  ;  he  often  felt  the  anguifh  of  his 
courfe  of  life  ;  he  was  alone,  in  the  folemn  ftill- 
nefs  of  the  night  ;  a  religious  book  happened  to 
be  opened  by  him  ;  the  dreadful  crime  in  v/hich 
he  was  going  to  engage  flalhed  upon  his  con- 
fcience.  Falling  aileep  in  this  agitation  of  hi^ 
fpirits,  a  dream  followed,  accommodated  to  hi? 
w^aking  reflections.  Nor  was  he,  on  this  ac- 
count, the  iefs  indebted  to  the  goodnefs  of  Di- 

viiic 

^  Doddridge's  Sermons*  and  ifl'gious  T{a'^s,  Vcl.  III.  p.  62. 


2^6     Memoirs  OF  Dr.  Doddridge, 

vine  Providence  for  the  happy  and  effeftual 
change  that  was  produced  in  his  difpofition  and 
condu(5t.  The  events  which  are  derived  thro'  a 
fuccefTion  of  intermediate  caufes,  are  not  lefs  the 
rellilt  of  the  adminiftfation  of  the  Supreme  Be- 
ing, than  more  immediate  interpofitioFis.  There 
cannot  be  a  furer  dicflate  of  reafon,  than  it  is  of 
jfcripture,  that  every  good  and  every  perfect  gift 
is  from  above,  and  cdmeth  down  from  the'  Fa^ 
ther  of  Lights. 

Two  pamphlets  were  publifhed,  containing 
remarks  on  the  Life  of  Colonel  Gardiner  ;  one  ia 
London,  and  the  other  at  Edinburgh.  The  fe- 
cond  was  better  written  than  the  firft  ;  but  nei- 
ther of  them  was  deemed  of  fuilicicntoonfequence 
to  deferve  an  anfwer.* 

In  the  year  1748  appeared  the  third  volunie 
of  the  **  Family  Expofitor,  containing  the  Ads 
*'  of  the  Apoftles,  with  additional  Notes  on  the 
*'  Harmony  of  the  Evangelifts  5"?  and  ''  Tv\a> 
**  DiiTertations,  i.  On  Sir  Ifaac  Newton's  Syf- 
**  tern  of  the  Harmony;  .  2.  On  the  Infpiration 
**  of  the  New  Teflament/'  This  volume  is 
a  very  valuable  part  of  Dr.  Doddridge's  great 
work  ',  being  executed  with  fingular  attention 
and  diligence,  and  comprehending  a  large  va- 
riety of  curious  and  important  critical  remarks, 
together  with  excellent  pradical  oblervations. 
In  feveral  momentous  particulars  he  differed 
from  Lord  Banington  and  Dr.  Benfon,  and  co^ 
incided  in  opinion  with  Dr.  Lardner.  Of  this 
the  latter  gentleman  took  the  following  notice 
in  a  letter  to  our  author.      "  You    have  happily 

^'  thrown 

•   OftOB,  V.h\   fuffl,  p.    114—116. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge,     cj/" 

*•*  throv/xT  a  great  ded  of  light  on   the  Adls  of 
*'  the  Apoules.     I  am  particularly    obliged  ta 
**  you   for   the   honourable   mention  you   have 
*'  been  pleafed   to  miake-  of  me  upon  many  occa- 
''  fions.     I  likewife  thank  you   for  aflerting  and 
"  confirming  the  opinion  that  the  Jews  had  not 
'^  Jus  Gladii  m  the  time  of  our  Saviour.      I  am 
*'  alfo  well  pleafed  to  fee  how  clear  you  keep   of 
*^  the  now  common   opinion  about  Profelytes  of 
*'  the  GatCy   and   how  you  fometimes  overthrow 
**  it  by  good  reafons.'"*     In    the   differtation  on 
Sir  Ifaac  Nev«/ton's  fcheme  for  redacin?  the  fev- 
eral    hiftorics    contained    in    the   Evangeiifts    to 
their  proper   order.   Dr.  Doddridge   fuccefs fully 
combats  Sir  Ifaac's  hypothefis  upon   the  fLibjecTt. 
But,  at    the    fame  time,  he  gladly  embraced  the 
opportunity  of  paying  him  a  very  fine  complim.ent. 
*'  I  cannot,'*   fays   the  Dodtor,    *'  fet  myfelf  to 
*'  this  talk,  without  feeling  the  fatigue  of  it  itxi- 
**  fibly  allayed,    by   the   pleafure  with  which  I 
^'  reflect  on   the  firm  perluafion  v^^hich   a  peribn 
**ofhis    unequalled    figacity    muft  have  enter- 
*'  tained     of    the     truth     of     chriftianity,     in 
'-'  order    to    his    being  engaged    to    take    fuch 
*'  pains  in    illuftrating    the    facred  oracles.     A 
^'  pleafure,  which  I  doubt  not  every  good  reader 
*' Vv^ill.fhare    with  me;    efpecially    as   (accord- 
*'  ing  to   the    beft  information,    w^hether  public 
*'*  or  private,    I  could  ever  get)    his    firm    faith 
^'  in    the   divine    revelation    difcovered    itfelf  in 
''  the  mofi:  genuine  fruits   of  fubftantial    virtue 
**  and   piety  ;   and     confequently    gives    us    the 
'*  jufteft  reafon  to  conclude,   that  he   is  now  re- 

•  Letters,  ub:  Tuprs,  p.  273, 


238     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

<*  joicing  in  the  happy  effefts  of  it  infinitely 
*'  more  than  in  all  the  applaufe  which  his  phi- 
**  lofophical  works  have  procured  him  ;  though 
**  they  have  commanded  a  fame  lafting  as  the 
*«  world,  the  true  theory  of  which  he  had  difco- 
*•  vered,  and  (in  fpite  of  all  the  vain  efforts  of 
'*  ignorance,  pride,  and  their  offspring  bigotry) 
'^  have  arrayed  him  as  it  were  in  the  beams  of 
*^  the  fun,  and  infcribed  his  name  among  the 
*<  conflellations  of  heaven/'  Concerning  Dr. 
Doddridge's  DilTertation  on  the  Infpiration  of 
the  Old  Teflament,  Warburton  pronounced, 
that  it  is  a  well  reafoned  and  judicious  perform- 
ance."* Perhaps  in  fome  refpedts  the  reafoning 
may  be  rather  too  hypothetical  ;  but,  on  the 
whole,  it  is  a  production  which  abounds  with 
important  and  ufeful  obfervations. 

The  only  fermon  publifhed  by  Dr.  Doddridge 
in  1748,  was  one  entitled,  '*  Chrift's  Invitation 
to  thirfly  Souls/*  It  had  been  preached  nearly 
twenty  years  before  at  Northampton,  and  was 
now  printed  at  the  requeil  of  a  worthy  member 
of  the  eftabliihed  church,  to  whom  it  had  been 
communicated  in  the  intimacy  of  friendfhip. 
Prefixed  to  it  is  a  dedication,  of  confiderable 
length,  to  the  Rev.  James  Harvey.  This  cir- 
cumflance,  if  I  conjecture' rightly,  did  not  pleafe 
the  flrong-minded  Warburton.  ''  I  think," 
fays  he,  *'  you  do  not  fet  a  jufl  value  on  your- 
*'  felf,  when  vou  lend  your  name  or  countenance 
*'  to  fuch  weak,    but   well-meaning    rhapfodies 

«<  as .     This  may  do  well  enough  with  the 

**  people  ;    but  it  is  the  learned  that  claim  you. 

*^  And 

•  LclteiS;  ubi  rftpi?i  p.  205, 


Memoirs  of   Dr.  Doddridge.     239 

^'-  And  thoucih  the  intermixino:  with  works  of 
*'  this  Q'sSkfober  books  of  devotion  of  your  own 
*^  compoiing,  becomes  your  characfler,  and  is 
**  indeed  your  duty,  yet  your  charity  and  love 
**  of  goodnefs  fuffer  you  to  let  yourfelf  down  in 
*'  the  opinion  of  thofe  youmoft  value,  and  whofe 
*'  high  opinion  you  have  fairly  gained  by  works 
**  of  learning  and  reafoning  inferior  to  none, 
"  Forgive  me  this  freedom."*  Dr.  Hunt 
thought  better,  and  indeed  more  juftly,  of  the 
dedication  ;  for  he  thus  exprefl'ed  himfelf,  in 
a  letter  to  the  author  :  *'  Many  thanks  to  you  for 
**  your  kind  prefent  of  your  excellent  fermon, 
**  You  have  done  great  honour  to  our  brother 
*^  Harvey  in  the  dedication,  which  breathes  the 
^^  true  fpirit  of  chriilian  benevolence,  and  con- 
**  tains  fuch  generous  and  charitable  fentiments 
*'  as  mud  charm  every  reader  that  has  any  re- 
**  gard  to  the  true  interefls  of  our  moft  holy  re- 
**  ligion,  I  think  the  account  you  give  of  the 
*'  occaiion  of  the  words  (whicji  is  fomething  in 
*'  my  way)  is  perfe6lly  juft,  and  the  method  in 
**  which  you  have  explained  and  carried  on  the 
**  metaphor  throughout,  is  in  the  higheft  degree 
**  beautiful,  as  well  as  inflruclive.^-f* 

The  firft  publication  of  Dr.  Doddridge  in 
1749  was,  *'  A  plain  and  ferious  Addrefs  to  a 
*'  Mailer  of  a  Family  on  the  important  Subjed: 
*'  of  Family  Religion."  This  vv^as  accompanied 
with  two  prayers  ;  one,  which  might  be  ufed 
as  an  introduction  to  a  ftated  courfe  of  family- 
prayer,  where  it  had  formerly  been  neg]e6ied  ; 
and  the  other,  a  prayer  for  a  family,  to  be  uled 

cither 

♦  IbU.  p.  205,  2©5,  -^  Ibid,  p.  34^.  H7. 


l^a     Memoirs   of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

either  morning  or  evening,  with  fuch  variations 
as  might  eafily  be  underilood  by  any  who  v/erc 
able  to  read  it.  The  Doctor,  though  a  diffent- 
er,  and  himfclf  excelling  in  the  variety  and  co- 
pioufnefs  of  more  extemporaneous  adorations, 
was  not,  we  fee,  averfe  to  forms  of  prayer  on 
proper  occafions.  Indeed,  he  recommends  them 
in  his  *'  Addrefs,"  the  ferioufnefs,  affedion, 
sad  momentous  nature  of  which  entitle  it  to 
great  attention  ^nd  regard.  The  next  appear- 
ance of  oar  author  from  the  prefs  was  in  a  dif- 
courfe  that  had  been  preached  at  Northampton 
on  the  twenty-fifth  of  April,  1749  ;  being  the 
day  appointed  by  his  Majeily  for  a  general 
thankfgiving  on  account  of  the  peace  concluded 
with  France  and  Spain.  It  was  entitled,  ''  Re- 
*'  fledions  on  the  Condudl  of  Divine  Provi- 
*^  dence  in  the  Series  and  Conclufion  of  the  late 
*^  War,"  and  contains  many  beautiful  and  im- 
portant obfervations,  adapted  to  the  circumftances 
of  the  time. 

In  1749-50,  Dr.  Doddridge  preached,  at  a 
meeting  of  minifters  at  Creaton  in  Northamp- 
toniliire,  and  afterv/ards  publiflied  a  fermon,  the 
title  of  which  is,  ^'  Chriilian  Candour  and  Una- 
^^  nimity  ftated,  illuilrated,  and  urged."  This 
is  an  admirable  difcourfe,  and  exhibits  a  fine 
tranfcript  of  the  author's  own  mind,  which  was 
fully  attuned  to  the  virtue  he  recommended.  It 
was  infcribed  to  the  Countefs  of  Huntingdon, 
and  flrongly  difplays  his  admiration  of  that  lady, 
I  infert  the  infcription  (which  I  am  fure  was 
written  with  the  utmoft  fincerity)  rather  by  way 
of  warning  than  example  3  not  as  at  all  difputing 

the 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     24X 

the  great  excellency  of  the  Countefs's  eharader^ 
but  becaule  there  is  an  excefs  in  the  language 
which  ought  to  be  applied  to  very  few  humaa 
beings. 

«  To  the  Right  Honourable 

"  The  Countess  of  HuNTiNCDor^;, 

"  That  eminent  example  of  the 

"  Christian   Candour 

"  Here  recommended^ 

*'  And  of  every  other  virtue  and  grace,  • 

"  Which  can  infpire>  fupporr,  and  adorn  i^^^ 

"  The  Author, 
"  Finding  himfelf  (after  repeated  attempts) 

^*  Incapable  of  writing  any  dedication, 

"  Under  the  rcftraints  v/hich  her  humility, 

'^  Amidft  its  utmofl  indulgence, 

"  Has  prefcribed  him  ; 

*'  Or  to  mention  any  excellence  v/hich  would  nOt 

"  Seem  an  encomium  on  her  ; 

"  Has  chofen  thus  moil  refpedfully 

"  To  infcribe  this  difcourfe  ; 

"  Intreating  that  his  farther  filence, 

*'  In  this  connexion, 

^^  May  be  interpreted  by  her  Ladyship, 

"  And  by  every  Reader, 

"  As  the  mod  fenfible  and  painful  proof 

*^  He  can  give  of  the  deference, 

*'  Veneration,  and  grateful  affedion, 

"  With  which  he  is,  her  Ladyrtiip's" 

''  Moa  obliged,  and  obedient  humble  fervant/' 

On  the  twentieth  of  Augud,  1750,  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge preached  a  fermon  at  Salter's-Hall,on  oc- 
cafion  of  the  late  alarm  by  the  fecond  fbock  of 
an  earthquake,  which  had  happened  on  the  eighth 
of  March  preceding.  The  difcourfe  being  de-< 
Q^  livered 


242     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

Hvered  to  a  very  large  and  attentive  auditory,  It 
was  earneftly  requefted  that  it  might  be  printed; 
-and  accordingly  it  appeared  nnder  the  title  of 
*'  The  Guilt  and  Doom  of  Capernaum  ferioufly 
"  recommended  to  the  Confideration  of  the  In- 
**  habitants  of  London/'  Both  the  fermon  and 
the  preface  amply  Ihow  how  folicitous  our  au- 
thor was,  with  many  other  good  men,  to  im- 
prove every  event  of  Divine  Providence  to  the 
bed  of  purpofcs.  In  the  December  of  the  fame 
year,  he  was  called  upon  to  pay  the  laft  tribute 
of  refpe<£t  to  the  memory  of  his  friend  and  father. 
Dr.  Clark.  That  gentleman  died  on  the  fourth 
of  the  month,  and  on  the  fixteenth  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge preached  his  funeral  fermon  at  St.  Alban*s. 
The  difcourfe  is  entitled,  "  Meditations  on  the 
**  Tears  of  Jefus  over  the  Grave  of  Lazarus  /' 
and  the  charader  given  of  Dr.  Clark  is  as  juft  as 
it  is  affeftionate.  It  may  not  be  improper  to 
mention,  that  Dr.  Clark  was  the  author  of  a 
colledlion  of  Scripture  Promifes,  which  has  been 
very  ufeful  to  many  pious  chriftians,  and  of  three 
excellent  Sermons,  on  the  Nature  and  Caufes  of 
Irrefblutlon  in  Religion,  printed  in  1742.  As  a 
proof  of  the  liberality  of  his  mind,  I  fliall  tran- 
fcribc  a  paiTage  from  one  of  his  letters,  written 
in  1727,  to  Mr.  Doddridge.  **  You  have  feen, 
**  I  fuppofe,  what  the  public  prints  inform  us 
^^  of,  relating  to  the  proceedings  of  the  General 
**  Afiemhly  in  Scotland,  againft  Mr.  Patrick 
*'  Simpfon.  They  are  going  to  deprive  that 
*^  church  of  one  of  the  moft  valuable  perfons  in 
^'  it,  becaufe  he  does  not  think  it  neccflary  to  tie 
''*  himfelfdown  exadly  to  their  Shibboleth,  nor 

**  oblige 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Doddridge.     243 

*^  oblige  himfelf  to  conform  to  all  the  fcholafti.c 
*'  ways  of  fpeaking,  concerning  feme  things, 
*^  about  which  the  fcripture  is  filent.  By  what 
*^  I  faw  and  heard  of  him  when  in  Scotland,  he 
**  is  a  much  better  judge  of  thofe  matters  than 
*^  the  greater  part  of  thofe  who  are  to  judge  him. 
*^  His  crime  is,  that  he  is  difpofed  to  think  for 
*^  himfelf  -,  but  yet  he  is  very  cautious  to  avoid 
*'  giving  offence,  v/hich  I  perceive  is,  by  the 
**  bigots,  interpreted  cunning  and  diiruTiulation. 

*'  One  would  think  the  experience  of  fo  many 
'*  a?es  fhould  be  fufficient  to  make  the  v/orld 
'^  wifer  ;  and  that  thofe  who  pretend  to  govern 
**  in  the  church  fliould  learn  at  lail  that  their 
^'  power  might  be  much  better  exercifed,  than 
**  in  deftroying  the  ufefulnefs  of  the  beft  men  in 
**  it,  merely  for  nice  fpeculations  about  unreveal- 
*'  ed  or  difputable  points.  Suppofe  a  perfon 
**  fhould  not  fpeak  with  exa<fl  propriety,  con- 
**  cerning  the  manner  of  Chrift's  exiftence, 
*^  a  point  fo  much  above  our  reach,  if  yet  he 
'*  loves  him,  trufts  in  him,  and  fincerely  obeys 
*'  him,  what  harm  does  religion  fufter  by  it  ? 
*'  But  I  need  not  enlarge  upon  this  to  you,  who 
''  are  fo  well  inftrudted  in  the  unreafonablenefs 
**  of  bigotry  to  a  fet  of  fpeculative  notions.*'* 

I  have  now  fpecified  the  works  that  were  pub- 
lifhed  by  Dr.  Doddridge  during  his  life  time,  in 
their  chronological  order,  which  has  been  ne- 
gleded  by  Mr.  Orton,  and  very  much  confound- 
ed in  the  three  volumes  containing  the  Doctor's 
Sermons  and  religious  Trails.  Such  of  his  wri- 
tings as  were  printed  after  his  deceafe  will  here- 
C^2  after 

*  Letters  to  and  from  the  Rgy,  Dr.  Doddridge,  p.  17,  18, 


244     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

after  be  mentioned  ;  and,  therefore,  it  only  re- 
mains at  prefent  to  be  added,  that  he  was  the 
author  of  a  few  fmall  pieces  which  appeared  in 
other  colledions.  Thefe  were,  fome  papers, 
when  he  was  a  young  man,  in  '*  The  prefent 
State  of  the  Republic  of  Letters ;"  a  recommen- 
datory Preface  to  a  performance,  entitled,  **  Fa- 
*'  miliar  Dialogues  for  Children  ;"  a  biographi- 
cal Preface  to  twelve  Sermons,  by  the  Rev. 
Thomas  StetTe,  a  diffenting  minifter  and  former 
pupil,  who  died  in  early  life,  at  Taunton  in 
Somerfetfhire  ;  an  elaborate  account,  in  *^  The 
*'  Hiflory  of  the  Works  of  the  Learned,"  of  the 
fecond  volume  of  Warburton's  divine  Legation 
of  Mofes  ;  and  an  elegant  praftical  Paraphrafe  of 
the  laft  Words  of  David,  according  to  the  criti- 
cal interpretation  of  Dr.  Richard  Grey,  of  Hin- 
ton,  Northampton  {hi  re. 

I  ought  to  have  taken  notice  under  the  pro- 
per year  (174B)  that  Dr.  Doddridge  revifcd  the 
*^  Expofitory\¥orks'*  and  other  remains  of  Arch- 
biiliop  Leighton,  and  tranllated  his  *'  Latin  Pre- 
ledions/'  Thefe  were  printed  together  at  Edin- 
burgh, in  two  volumes.  Though  the  preparing 
of  thefe  volumes  for  the  prefs  took  up  fome  of 
the  Dodor's  time  for  feveral  months,  in  the  in- 
tervals of  other  bufinefs,  he  was  far  from  repent- 
ing of  his  labour.  The  delight  and  edification 
which  he  found  in  tlie  writings  of  this  extraor- 
dinary man,  were  efleemed  by  him  to  be  a  full 
equivalent  for  his  pains  ;  feparately  frorfi  all  the 
profpedl  of  that  effect  which  they  might  have 
upon  others.  He  ack no v\^l edges  in  his  preface^, 
that  he  never  fpent  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  re- 
viewing 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     245 

viewing  any  of  them,  without  feeling,  amidfl  the 
interruption  which  a  critical  examination  of  the 
copy  would  naturally  give,  fome  impreilions 
which  he  wiihed  always  to  retain.  Indeed,  he 
found  in  them  fuch  heart-aftefting  kflbns  of 
fimplicity  and  humility,  candour  and  benevo- 
lence, and  of  exalted  piety,  without  the  leall 
tindlurc  of  enthufiafm,  as  he  thought  could 
fcarcely  be  equalled  any  where  elfe,  excepting  in 
the  facred  Oracles.* 

Dr.  Henry  Miles,  of  Tooting,  fpeaking  of 
Archbifhop  Leighton's  works,  faid,in  a  letter  to 
Dr.  Doddridge,  '*  I  blefs  God  I  ever  met  with 
**  them.  There  is  a  fpirit  in  them  I  never  met 
*'  with  in  any  human  writings,  nor  can  I  read 
*^  many  lines  in  them  without  being  aftecled  : 
*'  though  you  know  all  his  works  are  imperfect 
^'  and  inaccurate. "•!*  Scotland,  in  the  middle  of 
the  laft  century,  produced  fome  divines,  who 
had  imbibed,  in  a  wonderful  manner,  the  genu- 
ine fpirit  of  devotion,  and  the  genuine  fpirit 
of  chriftianity.  The  name  of  Scougal  will 
occur  to  every  one  who  is  tolerably  acquaint- 
ed either  with  the  hiftory  of  theology,  or  with 
compofitions  of  a  pradical  nature. 

The  journey  which  Dr.  Doddridge  took  to 
St.  Alban's  for  the  purpofe  of  preaching  Dr. 
Clark's  funeral  fermon,  laid  the  foundation  of 
liis  own  death.  In  that  journey,  which,  as  we 
jiave  feen  before,  was  in  December,  1750,  he 
unhappily  contraded  a  cold,  that  hung  upon 
him  during  the  remainder  of  the  winter.  When 
the  fpring  advanced,  the  diibrder  confiderably 
abated  ;  but  in  the  fummer  It  returned  again 
O  3  with 

*  Oitciij  ubi  fuprn,  p.  145.  t  Letter?,  ubJ  foprn,  p.  aio« 


246     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

with  great  violence.  In  this  ftate  of  his  health, 
he  was  advifed  by  his  phyficians  and  friends  to 
lay  afide  his  public  work  for  a  time,  and  to  ap- 
ply himfelf  to  the  ufe  of  proper  medicines  and 
exercife  for  the  removal  of  his  complaint.  With 
the  former  part  of  this  advice  he  could  not  be 
prevailed  upon  to  comply  ;  for,  in  his  eftima- 
tion,  to  beulelefs  was  worfe  than  death.  Whilft 
he  apprehended  that  there  was  no  immediate 
oanger,  he  could  not  be  induced  to  decline,  or 
even  to  lefTen,  the  various  facred  employments 
in  which  he  fo  much  delighted  ;  and  he  was 
particularly  defirous  to  complete  the  fair  tran- 
icript  of  his  Family  Expofitor.  The  nearer  he 
approached  to  his  diilblution,  the  more  plainly 
v/as  obferved  his  continual  improvement  in  a 
fpiritual  and  heavenly  temper.  Indeed,  he 
feemed  to  have  gotten  above  the  world,  and  to 
be  daily  breathing  after  immortality.  This  dif- 
pofition  of  his  mind  v/as  ardently  exprefled  in 
feveral  of  his  letters,  and  is  manifeft  from  his 
will,  v/hich  was  made  at  this  time,  and  is  pre- 
faced in  the  following  language  :  **  Whereas  it 
^'  is  cuftomary  on  thefe  occafions  to  begin  with 
*'  commending  the  foul  into  the  hands  of  God 
*'  through  Chrifl  ;  I  do  it,  not  in  mere  form, 
^^  but  with  fmcerity  and  joy  ;  efteeming  it  my 
^^  greatefl  happinefs,  that  I  am  taught  and  en- 
**  couraged  to  do  it,  by  that  glorious  gofpel, 
**  which,  having  moft  affuredly  believed,  I  have 
^^  fpent  my  life  in  preaching  to  others  ;  and 
^'  which  I  efteem  an  infinitely  greater  treafare 
^'  than  all  my  little  v/orldly  ftore,  or  pofTefiions 
^^  ttn  thoufand  times  greater  than  mine/''^ 

*  Orton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  26 S— 271, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     247 

The  laft  time  that  Dr.  Doddridge  adminifler- 
ed  the  Lord's  Supper  to  his  congregation  at 
Northampton,  was  on  the  fecond  of  June,  1751* 
In  the  fermon  which  he  dehvered  previoufly  to 
the  celebration  of  the  ordinance,  and  which  was 
from  Hebrews  xii.  23,  he  expatiated  on  the  ilkif- 
trious  and  innumerable  all'embly  that  would 
meet  together  in  the  celeftial  world ;  and  in  the 
concluiion  of  the  whole  fervice,  he  mentioned, 
with  marks  of  uncommon  pleafure,  the  authori- 
ty of  Chrift  over  minifters  and  churches.  He 
dropped,  likewife,  fome  hints  of  his  approaching 
deceafe,  and  fpoke  with  great  tendernefs  and  af- 
fedtion  to  his  people  on  the  profpedl  of  their  fi- 
nal feparation.  After  this  he  fpent  fom.e  weeks 
in  London,  where  the  hurries  and  fatigues  he 
went  through  contributed  to  increafe  his  difor- 
der.  On  his  return  from  the  metropolis,  which 
was  nearly  the  middle  of  July,  he  determined, 
notwithftanding  the  earneft  entreaties  of  his 
friends  to  the  contrary,  to  addrefs  his  flock  once 
more  from  the  pulpit.  The  difcourfe,  which 
proved  in  fa£t  to  be  his  farewel  fermon,  was  froni 
Romans  xiv.  8,  and  was  well  adapted,  not  only 
to  the  ftate  of  his  congregation,  but  to  that  of 
his  pupils,  for  whofe  future  improvement  and 
welfare  he  was  tenderly  concerned. 

The  lad  public  fervice,  in  which  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge was  ever  engaged,  was  on  the  eighteenth 
of  July,  at  the  ordination  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Adams,  at  Bewdley,  in  Worcefterihire.  How 
unfit  he  was  at  this  time  for  taking  any  part 
in  the  duties  of  the  day,  was  difplayed  in  his  pale 
countenance,  and  in  his  languid,  trem.bling 
Qj.  voice  J 


MexMoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

voice  ;    but  he  had  promifed  his  affiftance,  and 

was  unwilling  to  be  abfent  or  unemployed  on 

the   occafion.      From    Bewdley     he   went     to 

Shrewlbury,  where  he  refided  feveral  weeks,    at 

the  houfe   of  his    friend  Mr.    Orton,    for    the 

convenience  of  air,  exercife,  and  an  entire  recefs 

from  bufinefs  and  company.     By  this  retirement 

he  feemed  to  be  a  little  recruited.     Whilft  he 

was    at  Shrewlbury,    he    received  many   letters 

from  his  friends,  exprefiive  of  their  high  elleem 

and  afFedlion  for  him,  and  of  their  deep  concern 

for  his  dangerous  illnefs.*     A  very  pathetic  one, 

written  by  Mr.  Neal,  will  be  found  in   the  col- 

ledion  lately  publifhed.     Part  of  what  he  wrote 

is  as  follows  :  ^'  You  may  be  fure,  we  are  all 

**  greatly  afFefted  with  the  danger  that  threatens 

^*  a  life  fo  univerfally  defirable,  and  to  us  fo  pe- 

**  culiarly  endeared :  and  our  invaluable  friend" 

fMr,  Barker)  **  diflblved  not  only  us,  but  great 

^^  part  of  his  numerous  audience,  into  tears,  by 

*'  a  kind  of  infpired  eloquence,  with  which  he 

**  offered  up  ftrong  pleas  and  cries,  for  your  fup- 

**  port  and  revival,  to  him  who  is  able  to  deliver 

**  from  death. --My  dear  friend,  I  befeech   you 

^'  not   to  think  of  returning  to  Northampton, 

*^  even  though  you  fhould  receive  all  imaginable 

**  benefit  at  Shrewlbury  in  the  enfuing  fortnight, 

*'  till  you  have  vifitcd  Briftol  -,  and  in  preparing 

^'  for  that  expedition,  I  conceive  no  time  fliould 

^'  be  loft,  as  the  feafon  for   the  waters,  as  well 

**  as    of  the  year,   is  fo  far  advanced.     I  Ihould 

■^  tremble  for  your  return   to   Northampton  at 

*?*  prefent,     notv/ithftanding    feme   encouraging 

^*  fymptoms  ^ 

^  Ibid.  p.  "^-ji — 274.. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     249 

^^  fymptoms  ;  for  a  relapfe  could  hardly  fliil  of 
^'  being  fatal,  and  in  fuch  a  circumftance  would 
**  be  next  to  certain,  confidering  your  various 
*'  engagements,  and  adive  temper."  Speaking  , 
of  the  academy,  Mr.  Neal  adds,  ^' Mr.  Clark, 
*'  I  am  perfuaded,  is  able  to  do  what  is  fully 
*^  fufficient,  and  will  be  very  acceptable  to  the 
**  truftees.  And  I  rejoice  in  his  ability  (v/hich 
''  I  do  not  at  all  diftruft)  to  keep  the  pupils  very 
*'  profitably  employed  for  fome  time  ;  though 
*^  I  fliould  much  rather  hear  the  academy  was 
^'  all  dilbanded,  than  that  you  Ihould  read  a 
'*  iinde  le<£lure  between  this  and  Michaelmas. 
"  In  one  word,  your  whole  duty  to  God  and 
*'  man  is  comprehended  in  the  care  of  your 
**  health. "-f*  Another  letter  written  fome  weeks 
before  by  Mr.  Barker,  though  it  has  been  in- 
ferted,  at  large,  both  in  the  Colledlign  mention- 
ed above  and  in  Mr.  Orton's  Memoirs,  is  too 
interefting  to  be  omitted  in  this  place.  *^  Lef- 
"  fingham,  Neal,  and  Barker,  are  too  nearly 
'^  interefted  in  that  precious  life,  which  now 
*'  appears  in  danger  of  being  cut  off  in  the  midft 
'*  of  its  d?ys,  to  hear  of  its  wafte  and  langnifh- 
''  ing  without  great  concern  and  fervent  prayer 
'^  to  God.  How  your  letter  affected  my  heart 
''  in  public,  your  friends  are  witnefs  :  but  what 
**  I  felt  for  my  dear  brother  and  the  mini  tiers 
*'  and  churches  of  Ch rift,  God  and  myfelf  only 
''  know.  I  will  not  now  fay,  Why  did  you 
*'  fpend  fo  faft  ?  Why  did  you  not  fpare  your- 
*'  felf  a  little  fooner  ?  I  Vv'iil  rather  i^earfily 
"  thank  you,  that  you  ufe  all  the  means  you 
^'  canto  repair  your  frame,  and  reftore  and  pro- 
^'  long  your  ufefulnefs.     It  is  the  kindcit  thing 

**  VOli 
f  Letters,  ubi  fypr?,  p.  396.  397. 


t< 


€( 


^50    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

^  you  can  do,  and  the  higheft  inftance  of  friend- 
**  fhip  you  can  now  ihew  us  ;  and  I  acknowledge 
*'  your  goodnefs  to  us  in  this  point  with  tears  of 
joy.  Confent  and  choofe  to  ftay  with  us  a 
*  while  longer,  my  dear  friend,  if  it  pleafe  God. 
This  is  not  only  needful  to  Northampton  and 
its  adjacent  towns  and  villages,  but  defirable 
**  to  us  all,  and  beneficial  to  our  whole  intereft. 
**  Stay,  Doddridge  !  O,  ftay  and  flrengthen  our 
'*  hand§,  whofe  lliadows  grow  long.  Fifty  is 
**  but  the  height  of  vigour,  ufefulnefs,  andhon- 
**  our.  Don't  take  leave  abruptly.  Providence 
**  hath  not  direded  thee  yet,  on  whom  to  drop 
**  thy  mantle.  Who  fliall  inflru6l  our  youth  ; 
**  fill  our  vacant  churches  ;  animate  ouraflbcia- 
**  tions,  and  diffufe  a  fpirit  of  piety,  moderation, 
**  candour,  and  charity,  through  our  villages  and 
**  churches ;  and  a  fpirit  of  prayer  and  fupplica- 
**  tion  into  our  towns  and  cities,  when  thou  art 
**  removed  from  us  ?  Efpecially,  who  il:iall  un- 
**  fold  the  facred  Oracles,  teach  us  the  meaning 
*^  and  ufe  of  our  Bibles,  refcue  us  from  the 
**  bondage  of  fyftems,  party  opinions,  empty, 
*^  ufelefs  fpeculations,  and  fafhionable  forms  and 
*^  phrafes  ;  and  point  out  to  us  the  fimplc,  in- 
**  telligible,  confiftent,  uniform  religion  of  our 
*^  Lord  and  Saviour  ?  Who  fhall — But  I  am 
'*  filenced  by  the  voice  of  him,  who  fays,  ^'  Shall 
**  I  not  do  what  I  will  with  my  own  ?  Is  it  not 
*'  my  prerogative  to  take  and  leave,  as  feemeth 
''  me  good  ?  I  demand  the  liberty  of  difpofing 
'^  of  my  own  fervants  at  my  own  pleafure. 
*'  He  hath  laboured  more  abundantly.  His 
"  times  are  in  my  hand.     He  hath  not  flept  as 

''  do 


Memoirs  of   Dr.  Doddridge,     251 

*<  do  others.     He   hath   rifen  to  nobler  heights 
''  than  things   below.       He    hopes   to   inherit 
'^  glory.     He  hath  laboured  for  that  which  en~ 
''  dureth   to   eternal   life  ;    labour,    which    the 
**  more  it  abounds,  the  more  it  exalts  and  mag- 
*'  nifies  its  objeds,    and  the  more  efleaually  an- 
*^  fwers  and  fecures  its  end.     It  is  yours  to  wait 
''  and  truft, — mine  to   difpofe  and  govern.     On 
**  me  be  the   care  of  minirters  and   churches. 
''  With  me   is  the  refidue  of  the  Spirit.     Both 
"  the   vineyard   and  the  labourers  are  mine.     I 
*'  fet  them  to  work  ;    and  when  I  pleafe,  I  call 
''  them  and  give  them  their  hire.'' — With  thefe 
*'  thoughts   my   pafiions    fubfide,    my   mind  is 
*^  foftened  and   fatisiied,    I   refign  thee,    myfelf 
^'  and  all,  to  God,  faying,  Thy  will  be  done  ! 
**  But  now  for  the  wings  of  faith  and  contem- 
*'  plation.     Let  me  take  thy   hand,    my   dear 
**  brother,  and   walk    a  turn  or  two  in  yonder 
*'  fpacious  regions.     Yes,  it  is  fo :  we  read  it  in 
'^  the  Book  of  God,  that  word  of  truth  and  gof- 
**  pel  of  our  falvation,  that  as  in  Adam  all  die^ 
*'  even  fo  in  ChrilT:  fliall  all  be  made  alive.     The 
*^  one  ruined  his  pofterity  by  fm  ;  the  other  raif- 
**  ed  his   feed  to  immortality.     This   poifoned 
**  the  dart  and  inflamed  the  wound  of  death  ; 
*'  but  Jefus  Chrift  redeemeth  us  from  this  cap- 
*'  tivity.     See,    thou    chrillian    minifter,    thou 
*'  friend  of  m.y  bofom,    and  faithful   fervant   of 
**  God,  fee  the  important  period,  when  the  fur- 
'*  priling    figns  and    defcending   inhabitants    of 
**  heaven,  proclaim  the  fecond   coming  of  our 
**  divine  Saviour  !   The   heavens  open  and   dif- 
^'  clofe  his  radiant  glory.      Hear  the  awakening 

"  trump. 


252     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

**  trump.  See,  the  dead  in  Chrift  arife  glori- 
**  ous  and  immortal  ;  leave  corruption,  weak- 
*^  nefs,  and  difhonour,  behind  them,  and  behold 
**  their  Lord  and  Head  feated  on  his  throne  of 
**  judgment,  attended  and  furrounded  with  tlie 
*'  miniilers  of  his  power  and  pleafure,  and  flun- 
*^  ing  in  all  the  fulnefs  of  celeftial  glory  :  and 
**  not  only  fee  but  fliare  his  viSory  and  luftre, 
"  partake  of  his  image  and  influence.  And  be- 
**  hold  the  demoliihed  fabric  reared  again,  ftate- 
*^  ly  and  ornamented,  iliining  and  illuftrious, 
*'  permanent  and  durable,  to  dem.onftrate  how 
**  entirely  death  is  vanquifhed,  all  its  ruins  re- 
*'  paired ;  and  what  was  once  meat  for  worms  is 
**  now  a  companion  of  angels  :  for  when  *'  this 
**  corruptible  fhall  have  put  on  incorruption, 
"  and  this  mortal,  immortality,"  every  eye  will 
*^  be  faftened  on  the  mighty  conqueror,  and  eve- 
**  ry  voice  and  harp  be  tuned  for  that  tranfport- 
"  ing  fong,  **  O  Death,  where  is  thy  fling  ? 
"  O  Grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?'*  Yes,  Dod- 
"  dridge,  it  is  fo.  The  fruit  of  our  Redeem- 
^*  er's  fufFerings  and  victory  is  the  entire  and 
*^  eternal  deftrudion  of  fin  and  death.  And  is 
"  it  not  a  glorious  deflrudion  ?  A  mofl  blefied 
*^  ruin  ?  No  enemy  fo  formidable,  no  tyranny  fo 
*'  bitter,  no  fetters  fo  heavy  and  galling,  no  pri- 
"  fon  fo  dark  and  difmal,  but  they  are  van- 
«'  quiflied  and  difarmed  ;  the  unerring  dart  is 
*«  blunted  and  broken,  the  prifon  pulled  down 
"^  and  rafed.  Our  Lord  is  rifen,  as  the  firfl- 
*•'  fruits  of  them  that  flept. — How  glad  fhould 
^'  I  be  to  hear  that  God  is  pleafed  to  prolong 
''  thy  life  on  earth,    to   declare  thefe   glorious 

<*  truths, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     253 

**  truths,  and  teach  us  to  improve  them  !  In 
*'  this  your  friends  with  you,  and  many  more 
**  in  every  place,  join,  and  make  it  our  com- 
*'  rr.on  petition  to  the  great  Difpofer  of  all 
*'  events.  Ufe  every  means  you  can  for  the 
'^  recov^ery  of  your  health,  for  the  fake  of  your 
'*'  friends,  among  whom  is  your  faithful  and  af- 
^'  fedtionats  J.  Barker."* 

Dr.  Doddridge  was  fo  deeply  affecled  with  the 
friendfliip  expreffed  in  this  letter,  and  the  divine 
confolations  which  it  adminiftered,  that  there 
was  reafon  to  be  apprehenfive  that  his  tender 
frame  would  have  funk  under  the  emotions  of  his 
gratitude  and  joy. 

In  autumn,  his  phyficians  judged  it  proper  that 
he  fliould  make  a  trial  of  the  waters  of  Briftol ; 
and  accordingly  he  went  thither  in  the  month  of 
Auguft.  Upon  his  arrival  at  that  place,  a  wor- 
thy clergyman  of  the  efrablifiied  church,  with 
whom  he  had  only  a  flight  acquaintance,  enter- 
tained him  in  the  moft  hofpitable  manner  and 
with  a  fraternal  affeftion,  till  he  could  be  accomm- 
odated with  faitable  apartments  near  the  wells  ^ 
and  Dr.  Maddox,  Bilhop  of  Worcefler,  paid  him 
a  friendly  vifit,  and,  in  very  obliging  terms,  of- 
fered to  convey  him  in  his  chariot,  at  the  ftated 
times  of  drinking  the  water.  Little  hope  of  his 
deriving  benefit  from  it  was  given  him  by  the 
phylicians  at  Briftol ;  and  he  received  their  report 
of  the  great  hazard  of  his  cafe  with  a  fortitude, 
refignation,  and  cheerfulnefs,  which  never  for- 
fook  him  to  the  lafl,  in  any  pkce,  or  on  any  oc- 

c  a  lion. 


254     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

cafion.     Here  he  met  with  fevcral  of  his  friends, 
who  were   delirous   to   do  all  in  their  power  to 
teftify  their  regard  for  him  ;  and  offers  of  fervice 
and  affiftance   were  made    to   him  by  ftrangers, 
and  even  by  perfons  who  had  formerly  conceiv- 
ed prejudices  againft  him.     A  worthy  nobleman 
interefted   himlelf  as  kindly  about  the  Dodlor's 
health,   as  if  he    had    long    been    his  intimate 
friend,    Whilft  Dr.  Doddridge  was  at  Brifto),  he 
was    vifited  by    fome  of  the  principal  people  of 
his  congregation,   who  expreffed  an  affection  for 
him  not  to  be  defcribed,  and  who  brought  with 
them  affurances   of  the   fame  affedion  from  the 
reft  of  his  flock,  and  of  their  ardent  and  repeat- 
ed prayers  for  his  recovery.     This  new  proof  of 
their  regard   afforded  him  great  fatisfadtion  and 
refrefhment.     He  was  diredled  by  his  phyiicians 
to  fpeak  and  write  as  little  as  poffible  ;    but  he 
could  not   content   himfelf  without  fometimes 
fending  letters,    in  ftiort-hand,    to  a  few  chofen 
friends,   expreffive  of  the  excellent  frame  of  his 
mind.'* 

The  health  of  Dr.  Doddridge  continuing  ftill 
more  and  more  to  decline,  he  was  advifed,  Cis 
the  lafl:  refort  in  fo  threatening  a  diforder,  to 
remove  to  a  warmer  climate  for  the  winter.  It 
was  propdfed  that  he  fhould  go  to  Lifbon.  In 
deliberating  upon  this  fcheme,  his  principal  ob- 
jcfticn  to  it  was  the  great  expenfe  with  which 
the  execution  of  it  would  neceffarily  be  attended. 
He  doubted  whetlier,  with  fo  very  precarious'  a 
hope  of  its  being  beneficial  to  him,  he  ought  to 
puriiie  the  defign  3   when  his  family,  which,  in 

cafe 

•  Ojton,  ubi  fupra,  p,  z77«-^2Sj> 


Memoii^s  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     255 

t\\Cc  of  his  cleceafe,  would  be  but  flenderly  provi- 
ded for,  would  be  confiderably  injured  by  the 
voyage.  ''  It  will/'  fays  Mr.  Orton,  ''  I  hope, 
^'  appear  to  every  confiderate  reader,  a  glorious 
**  circumflance  ia  the  Doctor's  life,  that  it  was 
*«  facrificed  to  the  generous,  difinterefted  fervice 
*^  of  his  great  Mafter,  and  benevolence  to  man- 
*«  kind  ;  that,  with  the  advantage  of  a  genius  and 
'^  qualifications  equal  to  the  higheft  advance- 
*'  mcnt  in  the  eftablifhment,  and  without  being 
*'  chargeable  w^ith  want  of  economy,  he  fhould 
*'  find  himfelf  under  the  painful  neceflity  of  pre- 
**  ferving  the  little  remainder  of  his  life,  by  an 
^^  expenfe  difproportionate  to  the  provifion  made 
**  for  his  family,  dear  to  him  as  his  own  life/* 
There  happened  to  be  at  Briftol  a  clergyman  of  the 
church  of  England,  who  had  not  been  previ- 
oufly  acquainted  with  Dr.  Doddridge,  but  who 
behaved  to  him  in  the  kindefl  and  moft  refped- 
ful  manner.  In  converfaticn  with  this  gentle- 
man, the  Doftor  undefignedly  threw  out  a  hint 
of  the  principal  reafon  which  caufed  him  to  de- 
mur about  the  voyage.  The  benevolent  cler- 
gyman immediately  feized  the  hint,  and  took, 
sn  opportunity  of  exprefiing,  before  a  lady  of 
confiderable  fortune,  who  was  a  difiTenter,  his 
efteem  and  refpe(5t  for  the  Dodor,  and  the  con- 
cern it  gave  him,  that  a  perfon  who  did  fo  much 
honour  to  chriftianity  in  general,  and  to  his 
own  denomination  in  particular,  and  who  (as  he 
was  pleafed  toexprefs  himfelf)  '*  if  his  confcience 
'^  had  not  prevented,  might  have  been  in  one  of 
**  the  firfi:  dignities  in  their  church,"  fhould,  on 
account  of  his    circumftances,   be   difccuraged 

from 


256     Memoirs  of  Dli.  Doddridge; 

from  taking  a  ftep,  on  which  perhaps  his  Hfo 
depended.  He  added,  that,  in  his  opinion,  it 
would  be  an  everlafting  reproach  upon  the  dif- 
fenters  as  a  body,  if  thole  who  knew  of  his  fitu- 
ation  did  not  take  fome  fpeedy  and  vigorous 
meafures  to  remove  the  difiiculty.  No  fooner 
had  this  gentleman  given  the  hint,  and  fet  a 
handfome  precedent,  than  it  was  cheerfully  pur- 
fued  ;  and  the  generofity  of  Dr.  Doddridge's  ac- 
quaintance at  Briflol  and  in  other  places,  fully 
equalled  his  wants  and  his  wifhes.  Mr.  Neal 
was  particularly  aftive  in  the  managem.ent  of 
the  affair,  and  had  the  pleafure  of  informing 
the  Dodor,  that  inilead  of  felling  what  our  au- 
thor had  in  the  fund^,  he  ihould  be  able,  through 
the  benevolence  of  friends,  to  add  fome  thing  to 
it,  after  the  expenfe  of  the  voyage  was  defrayed. 
Whilfl  Dr.  Doddridge  continued  at  Briftol, 
and  his  journey  was  in  profpcdt,  many  other 
pleafing  circumftances  occurred,  which  tended 
to  lighten  his  affliction.  A  fervant,  in  particu- 
lar, of  the  family  where  he  lodged,  offered  her- 
felf  to  attend  him  to  Liibon  on  very  reafonable 
terms  ;  a  propofal  which  was  the  more  feafona- 
ble  and  acceptable,  as  infirm  perfons,  who 
defigned  the  fame  voyage,  ufually  found  it  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  procure  fuch  attendance, 
even  by  large  offers.*  Dr.  Oliver  v/as  at  no 
fmall  pains  to  prepare  every  thing  for  making 
the  journey  as  comfortable  as  poflible ;  and 
Mr.  Warburton  prevailed  upon  the  fecretary  of 
the  Pofl- Office  to  write  to  the  captain  of  the 
packet-boat  at  Falmouth,    to   engage  him  to 

give 

*  Ibid.  p.  iSi  — 287, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge;     257 

give  Dr.  Doddridge  the  beft  accommodations  in 
his  power. -f-  On  the  feventeenth  of  September 
the  Dofior  left  Briftol,  and  after  a  fatiguing 
journey  of  ten  days,  occafioned  partly  by  the 
badnefs  of  the  feafon  and  roads,  and  partly  by 
his  great  weaknefs,  he  arrived  at  Falmouth, 
There  he  was  received  in  the  kindeft  manner  by 
Dr.  Turner,  the  phyfician  of  the  place,  who  gen- 
eraufly  entertained  him  in  his  houfe,  and  recom- 
mended him  to  the  care  of  his  nephew.  Dr. 
Cantley,  at  Lifbon.  During  Dr.  Doddridge's 
journey  and  ftay  at  Falmouthj  his  m.oft  painful 
and  threatening  fymptoms  had  been  fufpended  ; 
but,  on  the  night  before  he  failed,  they  returned 
with  greater  violence  than  ever^  Mrs.  Dod- 
dridge, therefore,  thought  it  necelTary  to  pro- 
pofe,  that  he  fhould  either  return  home,  or  flay 
a  while  longer  at  Falmouth.  Having,  however, 
fome  hope  from  a  change  of  climate,  he  gave 
this  fhort  anfvver,  *^  The  die  is  cafl,  and  I  choofe 
to  go." 

The  propriety  of  Dr.  Doddridge's  voyage  to 
Lilbon  has  by  fome  perfons  been  doubted ;  but 
in  this  undertaking  he  aded  by  the  unanimous 
advice  of  the  mod  competent  judges.  At  Fal- 
mouth much  civility  was  fliewn  him  by  feveral 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  place,  to  whom  his 
friends  had  written  for  that  purpofe,  and  he 
parted  from  them  with  the  utmoft  gratitude  and 
tendernefs.  On  Monday  the  thirtieth  of  Sep- 
tember he  went  on  board  the  packet  5  and  as 
the  captain  of  it  did  not  happen  to  go  the  voyage, 
the  Dodtor  had  the  convenience  of  his  cabin^ 
R    .  whiah 

+  Letters,  ubi  fupra,  p.  36a,  > 


^5^     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

which  was  no  fmall  comfort  and  advantage  tQ 
him  in  his  weak  condition.  Upon  the  failing 
of  the  veffel,  the  new  fcene  which  opened  upon 
him,  and  the  foft  air  and  frefli  breezes  of  the 
fea,  had  the  moft  pleafing  effe6l  on  his  fpirits. 
The  fea  ficknefs  was  feverely  felt  by  Mrs.  Dod- 
dridge and  the  fervant  ;  but  happily  he  himfelf 
did  not  fulFer  from  it  ^  fo  that  he  needed  their 
attendance  and  afiiftance  lefs  than  before.  He 
generally  fat,  the  greateft  part  of  the  day,  in  an 
eafy  chair,  in  the  captain's  cabin  ;  and  his  mind 
was  admirably  fuftained  by  delightful  views  of 
the  heavenly  world.  Such  facred  gratitude  and 
joy  appeared  in  his  countenance,  as  often  bro't 
to  the  remembrance  of  his  lady  the  following 
lines  in  one  of  his  hymns : 

When  Death  o'er  Nature  Ihall  prevail. 
And  all  the  powers  of  language  fail, 
Joy  through  my  fwimming  eyes  fliall  break. 
And  mean  the  thanks  1  cannot  fpeak. 

In  the  Bay  of  Bifcay  the  veffel  was  unhappily 
becalmed  for  fome  days ;  and  the  weather  prov- 
ed fo  intenfely  hot,  that  Dr.  Dod(kidge's  col- 
liquative fweats  returned,  attended  with  a  faint- 
nefs  that  threatened  his  fpeedy  diffolution.  Pro- 
vidence, however,  ftill  lengthened  out  the  feeble 
thread  of  life.  When  the  fiiip  came  to  the  de- 
fired  haven,  and  v/as  waiting  for  the  ufual  cere- 
monies of  entrance,  the  finenefs  of  the  day,  the 
foftnefs  of  the  air,  and  the  delightful  profpedls 
by  which  he  was  furrounded,  gave  him  a  frefli 
flov/  of  ftrength  and  fpirits.     lit  flayed  upon 

deck 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     259 

deck  about  two  hours>  and  derived  from  it  fuch 
a  ienfible  degree  of  refrefhment,  as  to  raifc  even 
a  flattering  hope  of  his  recovery.  On  Sunday 
the  thirteenth  of  October  he  landed  at  Lifbon. 
The  next  day  he  wrote  to  his  affiilant  at  North- 
anipton>  giving  him  afiiort  account  of  his  voyage, 
of  the  magnificent  appearance  which  the  city 
made  from  the  fea,  and  of  what  he  obferved  i:i 
paffing  through  the  ftreets.  After  mentioning 
his  great  weaknefs  and  danger,  he  added,  **  Ne- 
**  verthelefs,  I  blefs  God,  the  moft  undifturbed 
•'  ferenity  continues  in  my  mind,  and  my  ftrength 
**  holds  proportion  to  my  day.  I  ftill  hope  and 
*^  truftin  God,  and  joyfully  acquiefce  in  all  he 
"  may  do  with  me.  When  you  fee  my  dear 
*'  friends  of  the  congregation,  inform  them  of 
**  my  circumftances,  and  allure  them,  that  I 
**  cheerfully  fubmit  myfelf  to  God.  If  I  defire 
**  life  may  be  reftored,  it  is  chiefly  that  it  may 
**  be  employed  in  ferving  Chrift  among  them  ; 
**  and  that  I  am  enabled  by  faith  to  look  upon 
'*  death  as  an  enemy  that  fhall  be  defl:royed  ^ 
•^  and  can  cheerfully  leave  my  dear  Mrs.  Dod- 
**  dridge  a  Vv^idow  in  a  ftrange  land,  if  fuch  b^ 
**  the  appointment  of  our  heavenly  Father.  I 
**  hope  I  have  done  my  duty,  and  the  Lord  do 
**  as  feemeth  good  in  his  fight/'* 

At  LiflDon,  Dr.  Doddridge  was  kindly  receiv- 
ed and  entertained  at  the  houfe  of  Mr.  David 
King,  an  Englifh  merchant,  whofe  mother  was 
one  of  the  Doctor's  congregation,  and  who  had 
now  an  opportunity  he  could  never  have  expert* 
ed,  but  which  he  gladly  embraced,  of  repaying 
R  2  the 

♦  Orton»  ubi  fupr3,  p.  'iqo-^t^x. 


26o     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridgc- 

the  many  fervices  that  had  been  done  for  his  re* 
lations  at  Northampton.  In  this  worthy  fami- 
ly our  author  found  the  moft  cordial  friendfhip, 
and  every  accommodation  that  could  tend  to  al- 
leviate his  diforder.  Here  he  happened  to  meet 
vi^ith  Dr.  Watts's  Treatife  on  the  Happinefs  of 
feparate  Spirits,  which,  being  a  work  entirely 
coincident  with  his  own  fentiments,  delighted 
him  in  a  peculiar  manner.  In  reading  this  book^ 
Dr.  Watts's  Hymns,  and  efpecially  the  Scrip- 
tures, he  employed  as  much  time  as  his  ftrength 
would  admit.  At  Lifbon  he  found  a  family  re-, 
lated  to  Mrs.  Doddridge,  as  well  as  other  kind 
friends,  who,  either  from  a  knowledge  of  his 
charader,  or  from  having  received  voluntary  let- 
ters of  recommendation,  fhewed  him  all  the  ci- 
vility in  their  power,  and  indeed  feemed  to  ftrivc 
who  iliould  moft  excel  in  difplaying  for  him  an 
affiduous  and  tender  regard.  From  their  com- 
pany he  derived  pleafure,  though  it  was  attended 
with  the  painful  circumftance  of  his  not  being 
able  to  converfe  with  them  as  freely  as  he  could 
have  wiflied  to  have  done.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Wil- 
liamfon  in  particular,  then  chaplain  to  the  Bri- 
tish faftory,  frequently  viiited  hiip,  with  the 
temper  and  behaviour  of  the  gentleman,  the 
chriilian,  and  the  divine. 

About  a  week  after  Dr.  Doddridge's  arrival, 
by  the  advice  of  his  phyfician,  Dr.  Cantley,  who 
attended  him  without  receiving  the  ufual  fees, 
he  was  removed  into  the  country,  a  few  miles 
from  Lifl)on.  This,  however,  wtiS  produdive 
of  no  advantage  ;  for  the  rainy  feafon,  which  in 
that  climate  ufually  fets  in  about  the  latter  end 
•     .  of 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     261 

•of  Ovflober,  came  on  with  fach  uncommon  vio- 
lence, as  not  only  to  preclude  any  aiiiflance  from 
air  and  exercife,  but  to  add  greatly  to  his  com- 
plaints. On  the  twenty-fourth  of  Odober  he 
was  feized  with  a  colliquative  diarrhcea,  which 
foon  exhaufted  his  little  flrength.  Neverthe- 
Icfs,  during  the  fucceeding  night,  which  feemed 
the  laft  of  rational  life,  he  preferved  the  fame 
calmnefs,  vigour,  and  joy  of  mind,  which  he  had 
felt  and  exprcffed  through  the  whole  of  his  ill- 
nefs.  The  only  pain  he  had  in  the  thought  of 
dying,  was  the  fear  of  that  grief  and  difttefs 
which  Mrs.  Doddridge  would  fuffer  from  his 
removal.  To  his  children,  his  congregation, 
and  his  friends  in  general,  he  deiired  to  be 
remembered  in  the  moft  affedionate  manner  ; 
nor  did  he  forget  the  family  where  he  lodged,  or 
his  own  fervant,  in  the  elFufions  of  his  pious 
benevolence.  Many  devout  fen timents  and  af- 
pirations  were  uttered  by  him  5  but  Mrs.  Dod- 
dridge's heart  was  too  much  aiTefted  with  his 
approaching  change,  to  be  able  to  recolledl  them 
diftindly.  On  the  following  day  he  lay  in  a 
gentle  dofe,  in  which  he  continued  till  an  hour 
before  his  death.  At  the  laft  ftruggle  he  appear- 
ed reftlefs,  and  fetched  feveral  deep  fighs,  foon 
after  which  he  obtained  his  releafe.  This  event 
took  place  on  Saturday  the  twenty-iixth  of  Ofto- 
ber,  old  ftile,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  : 
and  though  he  died  in  a  foreign  land^  and  in  a 
certain  fenfe  among  ftrangers,  his  deceafe  was 
embalmed  with  many  tears.  Not  only  the  prin- 
cipal gentlemen  of  the  fadory,  but  even  their 
|ervants^  manifefted  a  high  fcnle  of  Dr.  Dod- 
R   3  dridge's 


262     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

dridge's  worth,  and  of  the  greatnefs  of  the  public 
]ofs.  A  circumftance  which  afforded  much  fe- 
tisfafliion  to  Mrs.  Doddridge,  and  her  Lilboa 
friends,  was,  that  the  Do6lor,  in  his  laft  fcenes, 
was  not  moleiled  by  the  officious  zeal  of  any  of 
the  priefts  of  the  church  of  Rome.  Agreeably 
to  the  defire  which  he  had  expreffed  before  his 
death,  his  body  was  opened,  when  his  lungs 
v/ere  found  in  fo  ulcerated  a  ftate,  that  it  appear- 
ed furprifing  to  the  phyfician  that  his  fpeaking  and 
breathing  had  not  been  far  more  difficult  and  pain^ 
ful  to  him  than  in  fa6l  they  v/ere,  even  to  the  laft. 
Dr.  Doddridge  had  frequently  expreiled  a 
wiili  of  being  buried  at  his  meeting  place  at 
Northampton,  where  his  children  and  fo  many 
of  his  congregation  and  friends  were  depofited. 
However,  during  his  illnefs,  he  fpoke  of  this 
as  a  matter  quite  indifferent  to  him  ;  and,  to 
avoid  increafing  the  diftrefs  of  his  afflicted  con-, 
fort,  was  defirous  of  being  interred  wherever  he 
fliould  die.  It  was  found,  upon  enquiry,  that 
the  removal  of  the  body  to  England  would  oc- 
cafion  a  very  large  expenfe,  and  therefore  it  was 
judged  moft  prudent  to  decline  it.  According- 
ly, his  remains  were  conveyed  to  the  burying-^ 
ground  belonging  to  the  Britifli  fadlory  at  Lif- 
bon,  with  as  much  decency  and  refped:  as  cir^ 
cumftances  and  the  place  would  admit.  The 
greater  part  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  fadlory  at- 
tended his  funeral  ;  and  Mr.  Wiiliamfon,  on  the 
following  Sunday,  preached  a  fermon,  in  which 
|ie  gave  him  a  high  and  honourable  charadter, 
founded  on  what  he  had  heard  from  many,  of 
Jiis  worth,  and  on  what  he  had  himfelf  feen,  dur- 
ing 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     265 

ing  the  opportunities   he  had  had  of  conveiTing 
with  him.^ 

Though  Dr.  Doddridge's  congregation  had 
not  the  melancholy  fatisfadticn  of  having  him 
interred  at  his  own  meeting-houfe,  they  erefted 
in  it  a  handibme  monument  to  his  memory,  and 
made  a  generous  prefent  to  his  widow  after  her 
return.  The  infcription,  which  was  drawn  up 
by  the  Doctor's  much  efteemed  and  ingenious 
friend,  Gilbert  Weft,  Efq.  was  as  follows  ; 

To  the  memory  of 

Philip  Doddridge,  D.  D. 

Twenty-one  years  Paftor  of  this  churchy 

Diredtor  of  a  flourifliing  Academy, 

And  Author  of  many  excellent  Writings  ; 

By  which 

fjis  pious,  benevolent,  and  indefatigable  zeal 

To  make  men  Vv'ife^  good,  and  happy. 

Will  far  better  be  made  known. 

And  perpetuated  much  longer. 

Than  by  this  obfcure  and  perifhable  marble; 

The  humble  monument,  not  of  his  praife. 

But  of  thei/  efleem,  affedion,  and  regret, 

Who  knew  him,  loved  him,  and  lament  him  i 

And  who  are  dcfuous  of  recording, 

In  this  Infcription, 

Their  friendly  but  faithful  tellimony 

To  the  many  amiable  and  Chriftian  virtueS;, 

That  adorned  his  more  private  charadler  5 

By  which,  though  dead,  he  yet  fpeaketh. 

And,  flill  prefent  in  remembrance, 

Forcibly,   though  filently,    admonifheth 

His  once  beloved  and  ever-grateful  flock. 

He  was  born  June  26,    1702, 

And  died  Odt.  26,  1751, 

Aged   5o.t  The 

*  Orton,  ubj  fnpra,  p,  293  — 297^^ 
I  Ibid.  p.  298. 


264    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

The  fituation  of  Mrs,  Doddridge,  during  th^ 
fad  fcene  through  which  ihe  paffed,  will  juftly 
be  confidered  as  peculiarly  melancholy  and  af- 
feding.  She  had  accompanied  her  hufband  to 
a  foreign  land,  and  had  been  vvitnefs  to  the  pain- 
ful event  of  his  death.  Through  the  goodnefs 
of  God  ihe  was  enabled  to  preferve  fortitude  and 
ferenity  in  the  midft  of  her  deep  affliftion.  What 
the  ftate  of  her  mind  was,  is  finely  reprefented 
in  a  letter  which  ihe  wrote  to  her  children  from 
Lilbon,  a  few  days  after  the  Dodor's  deceafe, 
and'Which  has  lately  been  printed,  for  the  firft 
time,  in  the  Gentleman's  Magazine.  It  will  be 
found  below.^     In  her  voyage  homeward,   and 

upon 

f  ''  Lrjhon,  Nov,  IT,  N.  S.  li^t, 

5*  MY    DEAR    CHILDREN, 

**  How  (hall  I  addrefs  you  under  this  awful  and  melancholy  Provi-* 
dence  I  I  would  fain  fay  fomething  to  comfort  you.  And  1  hope  GoD 
will  enable  me  to  fay  fomething  that  may  alleviate  your  deep  diftfeis.  t 
yvtni  out  in  a  firm  dependence  that,  if  Infinite  Wifdom  was  pleafed  to  call 
me  out  to  duties  and  trials  as  yet  unknown,  he  would  grant  me  thofe  fu- 
perioT  aids  of  llrength  that  would  fupport  and  keep  me  from  fainting  un- 
der them  ;  perfuaded  that  there  was  no  diftrefs  or  forrow,  into  which  he 
could  lead  me,  under  which  his  gracious  and  all-fuflicient  arm  could  not 
ifupport  me.  He  has  not  difappointed  nie,  nor  fuflfered  the  heart  and  eyes 
diredled  to  him  to  fail.  «*  GOD  all-fufticient,  and  my  only  hope,"  is  my 
imotto  :  let  it  be  yours.  Such,  indeed,  have  I  found  him  ;  and  fuch,  I 
verily  believe,  yoii  will  find  him  too  iu  this  time  of  deep  dirtrefs. 

**  ©h  !  my  dear  children,  help  me  to  praife  hirn  \  Such  fupports,  fuch 
confolations,  fuch  comforts,  has  he  granted  to  the  meaneft  of  his  crea- 
tures, that  my  mind,  at  times,  is  held  in  perfeft  attonifhment,  and  is  rea- 
dy to  huift  into  fongs  of  praiie  under  its  moftexquifiie  dillrefs. 

**  As  to  outw?rd  comforts,  God  has  withheld  no  good  thing  from  me, 
but  has  given  me  all  the  afliftance,  and  all  the  (uppojts,  that  thetenderelt 
friendfliip  was  capable  of  alFording  me,  and  which  I  think  my  dear  North- 
ampton friends  could  not  have  exceeded.  Their  prayers  are  not  loft.  I 
doubt  not  but  I  am  reaping  the  benefit  of  them,  and  hoj.e  I'nat  you  will  do 
the  fame. 

**  I  am  returned  to  good  Mr.  King's.  Be  good  to  poor  Mrs.  King, 
It  is  a  debt  of  giatltude  1  ov^e  for  the  gjeat  obligations  I  am  under  to 
that  worthy  family  here.  Such  a  folicitude  of  fi  iendftiip  was  furtly  hardly 
ever  known  as  1  meet  with  here,     J  have  the  offers  of  fiiendlhio  more  ihaf« 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     265 

upon  her  return  to  her  family,  ilie  was  ftrength- 
ened  and  fupported  beyond  what  could  have  been 
expefled.     By   the  circumftancc  of  Dr.  Dod- 

drids^e's 


lean  employ  ;  and  it  gives  a  real  concern  to  many  here  that  they  cznnjt 
find  out  a  way  to  ferve  me.  Tlieie  are  great  honuurs  conterred  on  tha 
dear  deceajed,  and  great  comforts  to  mc.  It  is  im^)o{r»h!e  to  lay  how 
riuch  thqie  meicics  are  endeared  to  me,  as  coming  in  iuch  an  immediate 
manner  iVom  the  Divine  Hand.  To  bis  name  be  the  praife  and  glory  of 
all  ! 

•'  And  now,- my  dear  children,  what  Hiail  I  fay  to  you  ?  Ours  is  ro 
common  lols.  1  mourn  ihc  bed  ot  hufbands  and  or  friends,  removed 
from  this  world  of  fu»  and  forrow  to  the  legions  of  immoitai  blils  and 
Jight.  What  a  glory  1  What  a  meicy  is  it  that  I  am  enabl  d  with  my 
thoughts  to  purlue  him  there  !  You  have  lolV  Ue  dearelt  and  bell  of  par- 
ents, the  guide  of  your  youth  !  and  whoie  plealureit  would  have  been  to 
have  introduced  you  mto  life  with  great  advantages. 

**  Our  lofs  is  great  indeed  !  But  I  really  thmk  the  lofs  the  public  has 
fuftained  IS  (till  greater.  But  GoD  can  never  want  initruments  to  carrjT 
on  his  work.  Yet,  let  us  be  ir.ar.ktui  that  GOD  ever  gave  us  Iuch  a 
friend;  that  he  has  continued  him  fo  long  with  us.  Perhaps,  if  we  had 
been  to  have  judged,  we  Ihould  have  thought  that  we  nor  the  w©rld  could 
never  lefs  have  fpared  him  than  at  the  ^)reient  time.  But  I  fe  the  hand  of 
Heaven,  trie  appointment  ot  his  wile  Providence,  in  ev-ry  Itep  of  this  aw- 
ful dilpenfation.  It  is  his  hand  that  h^s  put  fhe  bitter  cup  into  ours. 
And  what  does  he  now  expeCt  from  us  but  a  meek,  humble,  entire  fuh- 
inifTion  to  his  will  ?  Wc  know  this  is  our  duiy.  Let  us  pray  for  thcfe 
aids  of  his  Spirit,  which  can  only  enable  us  to  attain  it.  A  father  of  the 
ialherlefs  is  God  in  his  holy  habitation.  As  fuch  may  your  eyes  be  di- 
Tciled  to  him  !  He  will  Jupport  you.  He  will  comfoit  you.  And  that 
he  may,  is  not  only  my  daily,  but  hourly  prayer. 

**  Wc  have  never  deferved  lb  great  a  good  as  that  we  have  loft.  And 
let  us  remember,  that  the  bell  refpect  we  can  pay  to  his  m  mory  is  to  en- 
deavour, as  far  as  we  can,  to  follow  his  example,  to  cultivate  ihofc  amia- 
ble qualities  that  rendered  him  I'o  jultiy  dear  to  us,  and  I'o  greatly  eiteem- 
ed  by  the  world.  Particularly  i  would  recominend  this  to  my  dear  P. 
May  I  have  the  joy  to  fee  him  ailing  the  part  worthy  the  relation  to  l» 
amiable  and  excellent  a  parent,  whofe  memory,  I  hope,  will  ever  be  valu- 
able and  facred  to  him  and  to  us  all  !  Under  God,  may  he  be  a  comforc 
to  me,  and  a  fupport  to  the  famil)  l  Much  depends  on  him.  His  lyls  I 
think  peculiarly  great.  But  I  know  an  a!i-lufHcient  God  can  overrule  it 
as  the  means  of  »he  greatelt  good  to  him. 

<*  It  is  mipoilible  for  me  to  tell  you  how  tenderly  my  heart  feels  for 
you  all  1  how  tnuch  I  long  to  be  with  you  to  con. fort  and  afhft  you.  In- 
deed, you  are  the  only  iuduccments  I  now  have  left  to  wjfh  for  life,  that  I 
may  do  what  littieis  in  my  power  to  form  and  guide  your  t-ender  >cars. 
For  this  purpoie  I  tnkc  all  pofilbie  care  of  my  healh.  i  eat,  Ucep,  and 
converfe  at  times  with  a  tolerable  cltgree  vi  c^errfidnefs.  You,  my  dears, 
a^  the  bell  return  y  u  can  make  me,  will  i\o  the  »-ime,  that  f  may  not 
have  Ibrrow  upon  forrcw.  The  many  kind  friends  you  have  aicun;!  you, 
'"'"■'  "  ■  i. 


^66    Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

dridge's  dying  abroad  fhe  loft  a  confiderable  an-? 
nuity,  which  he  had  provided  for  her  in  cafe  of 
widowhood,  and  to  which  fhe  would  other  wife 
have  been  entitled.  To  this  confcquence  of  his 
voyage,  ihould  he  die  abroad,  the  Dodor  v/as 
totally  a  ftranger  ;  and  it  was  happy  for  him 
that  he  was  never  acquainted  with  it,  iince  it 
muft  have  lien  with  weight  upon  his  fpirits. 
The  generofity  of  his  friends  w^s  active  to  com- 
penfate  for  the  lofs  which  Mrs.  Doddridge  had 
fuftained.  A  fubfcription  was  opened  for  her, 
chiefly  in  London,  and,  in  a  great  meafure, 
under  the  diredion  of  Mr,  Neal,  whofe  kind 
offices  to  Dr.  Doddridge's  family  wexe  eminent 
and  invariable.  In  a  fhort  time  a  fum  was  raifcd, 
which  was  more  than  equal  to  the  forfeiture  of 
the  annuity.  Befides  this,  Mrs,  Doddridge  re- 
ceived feveral  other  handfome  prcfcnts,  which 
were  fent  her  as  fubfcriptions  to  the  Family  Ex- 
pofitor,  from  perfons  of  rank,  both  among  the 
clergy  and  laity  of  the  eftablifhed  church.  The 
manner  in  which  thefe  benefadions  w«re  com- 
municated heightened   their  v^lue.     They  were 

beftowed 


I    am  furc,  will  rot  bp  wanting  in  giving  you  all  the  afTiftance  and  com« 
iort  that  is  in  their  power.     My  kindell  ialutations  attend  them  ail. 

*'  I  hope  to  leave  this  place  in  about  fourteen  or  twenty  days.  But 
the  fooneft  I  can  reach  Northampton  will  not  be  in  Icfs  than  fiX  weeks  o? 
two  months  time.  May  Gon  he  with  you,  and  give  us,  tho'  a  mourn- 
ful, yet  a  comfortable  meeting  !  For  your  lakes  I  trufl  my  life  will  be 
fpared.  And,  I  blefs  GoD,  my  mind  is  under  no  painful  anxiety  as  to. 
the  difficulties  and  danqjers  of  the  voyage. 

'*  The  winds  and  the  waves  are  in  his  hands,  to  whom  I  reHgn  myfelf, 
and  all  that  is  deaiert  to  me.  I  know  I  fliall  have  your  prayers,  and 
thofe  of  my  deareft  friends  with  you. 

"  Farewel,  my  deare(t  children  !  lam  your  afHiiSled,  but  moft  fincerc 
friend,  and  ever  aft'edionate  mother, 

'«  M.  Doddridge."  f 


f  Centhnans  Magazine,  'vol.  Jxi.  p.  8S4,  SSj. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     267 

beftowed  with  fo  much  delicacy,  and  refledled 
fuch  high  honour  on  Dr.  Doddridge's  memory, 
that  fhe  retained  a  deep  impreffion  of  them  to 
the  latefl  hour  of  her  hfe.  Another  inftance  of 
regard  that  was  paid  her,  was,  that  the  diiTenting 
minifters  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Northampton, 
and  the  pupiJs  who  had  begun  to  preach,  fap- 
pHed  the  Doctor's  congregation,  during  his  ab- 
fence,  and  for  half  a  year  after  his  deceafe,  that 
the  falary  might  be  continued  to  his  family  for 
that  time.* 

Dr.  Doddridge's  funeral  fermon  w^as  preached 
by  Mr.  Orton,  who  w^as  in  every  view  the  pro- 
pereft  perfon  for  that  fervice.  On  what  day  it 
was  delivered  does  not  appear  from  the  copy 
now  lying  before  me.  The  text  was,  i  Cor. 
XV.  54,  and  the  words,  ''  Death  is  fwallowed  up 
in  vidory.'*  In  a  ihort  time  the  difcourfe  was 
publilhed,  and  had  an  extenfive  circulation,  un- 
der the  title  of  ^*  The  Chriftian's  Triumph  over 
Death,''  It  has  fmce  been  annexed  to  the  three 
volumes  of  the  Doftor's  Sermons  and  religious 
Trads.  Mr.  Orton  did  not  enter  largely  into 
the  character  of  his  revered  and  beloved  friend, 
having  probably  then  formed  the  defign  of  wai- 
ting his  life. 

The  mufes  were  not  filent  on  Dr.  Doddridge's 
deceafe.  A  poem  to  his  memory  was  publi(hed 
by  a  young  gentleman,  who,  at  the  time  of  com- 
pofing  it,  was  a  pupil  at  his  academy.  The  au- 
thor wa^  Mr.  Henry  More,  v/ho  afterwards  fet- 
tled in  Devon/hire,  of  which  county  he  is  a  na- 
tive, and   who   is   now    a  diff::nting   minifter  at 

Leikard 

^  Oft^n,  ubi  fupra,  p.  259,  500, 


263     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

Lefl<.ard  in  Cornwall.  By  his  friends  he  i^ 
known  not  only  to  be  an  ingenious  poet,  but  a 
found  fcholar,  efpecially  in  Biblical  criticifm. 
The  following  lines  will  afford  an  agreeable  fpe- 
cimen  of  the  merit  of  the  poem. 


Her  bays  each  fcience  fcatters  on  thy  bier  ; 
Each  fecial  virtue  drops  the  friendly  tear. 
Beneath  a  mouldVing  temple's  awful  fliade. 
Among  the  folcmn  nodding  ruins  laid, 
Religion  weeps  ;  her  borom  fwelled.with  care 
Heaves  the  fad  figh,  half  yielding  to  defpair  : 
But  cheerful  faith  fuftains  her  drooping  head. 
And  whifpers  comfort  to  the  fainting  maid. 
But  ah  !   what  power  of  language  can  exprefs 
The  widowed  confori*§  woe  :  What  keen  diftrefs 
Tore  all  her  heart-ftrings,  when  thy  trembling  fight 
Snatch'd  afond,farewel  glance,  and  clos'd  in  night  J 
When  the  felt  pulfe,  that  at  her  touch  before 
Beat  with  a  fuller  side,  now  throbbed  no  more  ? 
In  foreign  lands,  abandoned,  and  alone. 
She  heard  a  darling  hufband's  parting  groan  : 
No  children  there  received  his  lad  command, 
Wept  round  the  couch  and  kifs'd  his  dying  hand; 
No  fad  domeftic  bore  the  fable  bier  ; 
No  mournful  pupil  pour'd  the  tender  tear^ 
No  foothing  friend  to  minifter  relief. 
And  by  dividing  mitigate  her  grief : 
She  folitary  brooded  o'er  her  care. 
Her  only  refuge  placed  in  heaven  and  prayer. 
And  when  her  native  country  to  regain, 
She  meafur'd  back  the  wide  extended  main. 
As  the  fleet  vefTel  flew  before  the  wind. 
How  many  a  melting  look  fhe  turned  behind  ! 
How,  till  in  undiftinguifhed  vapour  loft. 
Caught  each  faint  glance  of  the  receding  coaft, 
Y^^here  now,  for  ever  from  her  eyes  rcmov'd, 

■    Li^ 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     269 

Lie  the  blcfl:  relics  of  the  man  (he  lov'd  ! 
That  dear  lad  fight  fhe  never  more  muft  view. 
Her  longing  eyes  have  look.*d  their  lafl  adieu  : 
That  dear  fad  fight  fiie  wifhes  now  in  vain. 
While  ocean  roll  unnumbered  waves  between. 

Dr.  Doddridge  was  not  handfome  in  his  per- 
foil.  In  ilaturc  he  was  fomewhat  above  the  mid- 
dle fize,  with  a  ftoop  in  his  fhoulders,  and  he 
was  very  thin  and  flender.  Bat  when  he  was 
engaged  in  Converfation,  or  employed  in  the  pul- 
pit, there  was  a  remarkable  fprightlinefs  and  vi- 
vacity in  his  countenance  and  manner,  v^^hich 
commanded  a  general  attention.^  Mrs.  Dod- 
dridge furvived  her  hufband  nearly  forty  years, 
all  which  time  fhe  exhibited  an  eminent  pattern 
of  the  Chriftian  virtues.  She  departed  this  life 
at  Tewkefbury,  in  Glocefterihire,  where  fhe  had 
long  refided.  The  Doftor  left  four  children, 
one  fon,  and  three  daughters.  Philip,  the  fon, 
v/as  brought  up  to  the  lav/,  and  fettled  as  an  at- 
torney at  Tewkefbury,  where  he  died  feveral 
years  ago.  The  eldefl  daughter  married  Mr. 
Humphreys,  an  attorney  of  the  fame  place.  She 
and  her  two  fifters,  who  are  fmgle,  are  ftill  liv- 


ing. 


It  was  a  happy  circumftancc,  that,  at  the  time 
of  Dr.  Doddridge's  illnefs  and  deceafe,  he  had 
for  his  aiTiftant  in  the  Academy  Mr.  Samuel 
Clark,  the  fon  of  his  friend  Dr.  Clark.  In  this 
gentleman  were  united  wifdom,  knowledge,  and 
an  uncommon  equanimity  and  fleadinefs  of  tem- 
per. Indeed,  though  very  young,  he  was  well 
qualified  to  have  been  cHofen  to   fucceed    Dr. 

Doddridge 

•  Ibid  p.  301. 


270    A'Iemoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge* 

Doddridge  in  the  office  of  principal  tutor  :  but 
this  his  modefty  would  not  have  permitted  ;  and, 
upon  the  whole,  it  v/as  undoubtedly  proper  that 
a  man  of  more  advanced  life  fliould  be  appoint- 
ed. The  perfon  elefted  by  Mr.  Coward's  truf- 
tees,  and  who  had  been  recommended  by  Dr. 
Doddridge  in  his  will,  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  (after- 
wards Dr.)  Caleb  Afliworth,  ofDaventry,  to 
which  place  the  academy  was  removed  in  the 
autumn  of  1752.  Dr.  A(h worth  diicharged  the 
duties  of  the  truft  with  great  fidelity  and  dili- 
gence, and  with  an  ability  that  increafcd  as  he 
proceeded  in  his  employment.  Mr.  Clark  con- 
tinued as  his  affiflant  for  feveral  years,  and,  in 
fo  doing,  contributed,  in  no  fmall  degree,  to  the 
lafefulncfs  and  fuccefs  of  the  inftitution.  Whilft 
he  was  at  Daventry  he  preached  and  publiflied  a 
fermon  on  occafion  of  the  earthquake  at  Liibon. 
He  afterv/ards  fettled  at  the  Old  Meeting  at  Bir- 
mingham, where  he  was  highly  and  juftly  re- 
fpedled  and  efteemed,  not  only  by  his  own  con- 
gregation, but  by  all  who  knew  him.  On  Sun- 
day the  third  of  December,  1769,  he  was  un- 
happily killed,  in  the  prime  of  his  days,  by  a 
fall  from  his  horfe,  as  he  was  fetting  out  ta 
preach  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  funeral  dif- 
courfe  for  him  was  delivered  and  printed  by  his 
friend  Dr.  Afliworth,  under  the  title  of  ""  The, 
*'  Regards  a  Chrlftian  Congregation  owe  to  their 
**  deceafed  Minifters,  reprefentcd  and  urged." 

Of  the  writings  of  Dr.  Doddridge,  which 
were  publiflied  in  his  life-time,  we  have  already 
taken  notice.  With  regard  to  his  grand  work, 
the  Family  Expofuor,  three  volumes  were  ftill 

to 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge,     i-jt 

to  make  their  appearance.  Happily  he  had  fin- 
ifhed  the  whole  of  the  copy,  in  fhort  hand,  a 
few  flight  notes  towards  the  conclufion  ex- 
cepted, and  the  larger  part  had  been  tran- 
fcribed  for  the  prefs.  This  was  the  cafe  with 
all  the  fourth  volume,  the  preface  to  which 
had  been  written  by  our  author.  In  1754 
that  volume  was  publiflied,  containing  St. 
PauFs  Epiftle  to  the  Romans,  -and  his  firft 
and  fecond  Epiflles  to  the  Corinthians.  *^  As 
''  far  as  I  know  mylelf,"  fiys  the  Doflor,  "  I 
**  have  no  favourite  hypothefis  to  ferve,  nor  a 
**  fondnefs  for  any  unlcriptural  phrafes ;  in 
*'  which  fo  many  have,  on  one  fide,  and  the  other, 
*'  made  the  very  being  of  orthodoxy  to  confift. 
*'  I  have  been  difpofed  to  let  fcripture  carry  me 
**  along  with  it,  wherever  it  naturally  leads,  ra- 
*'  ther  than  refolve  it  fhould  follow  me.  In- 
*'  ftead  of  labouring  to  eftabliih  any  human  fyf- 
**  tem,  which  has  always,  I  fear,  a  leaven 
**  of  imperfection  attending  it  ^  I  have  endea- 
'*  voured  to  keep  controverfy  as  much  out  of 
*'  fight  as  poflibie,  and  to  reprefent  what  I  veri- 
**  ly  believe  to  be  the  Scripture  doftrine,  in  as 
♦'  fimple  a  manner  as  I  could,  and  diverted  of 
**  thofe  particular  expreflions,  which  fome,  who 
**  perhaps  are  not  averfe  to  the  main  doftrine  il- 
**  felf,  are  ready  to  rife  up  againfl:.''  One  rule 
of  interpretation  laid  down  by  Dr.  Doddridge 
was,  when  the  text  and  context  will  bear  two 
meanings,  to  prefer  that  Vv^hich  gives  the  noblefl 
and  moft  extenfive  fenfe,  and  might  make  the 
paffage  in  queftion  mod  univerfally  ufeful.  Plau- 
iible,  however,    as  this  rule  may  appear,  there  is 

diiinger, 


272     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

danger,  unlefs  it  be  excrcifed  with  peculiar  judg- 
ment, of  its  being  occafionally  produdive  of  er-- 
ror.  In  fa6l,  the  bufinefs  of  a  commentator  on 
fcripture  is  to  find  out  the  fmgle  original  figni- 
fication  of  the  language  ufed  by  the  facred  wri- 
ters, and  not  to  indulge  his  imagination  in  giv- 
ing a  fcope  to  words  beyond  what  was  at  firft 
fpecifically  intended. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1755,  Mr,  Or- 
ton  publiihed  a  Colledlion  of  Dr.  Doddridge's 
hymns.  Few  of  the  Dodlor's  works  have  been 
more  generally  acceptable,  the  fixth  edition  of 
them  having  appeared  in  1788.  Indeed,  they 
are,  upon  the  whole,  well  calculated  to  anfwer 
the  purpofes  of  chrlftian  devotion  ;  and,  being 
all  of  them  founded  upon  particular  texts  of 
fcripture,  cannot  fail  of  being  ufeful  to  minifters 
who  preach  on  the  fame  texts.  With  refped:  to 
poetical  merit,  if  they  cannot  be  placed  in  a  high 
rank,  they  have  enough  of  it  for  the  immediate 
view  which  they  were  intended  to  anfwer.  As 
the  author  had  not  fo  good  an  ear  as  Dr.  Watts, 
his  numbers  are  not  equally  flowing  and  harmo- 
nious. It  may  be  mentioned  to  his  praife,  that 
he  has  not  indulged  to  the  extravagancies  which 
Dr.  Watts  has  fallen  into,  efpecially  in  the  firfl 
book  of  his  hymns.  I  obferve  with  pleafure, 
that  Dr.  Doddridge  has  not  taken  a  fingle  fub- 
jed  from  the  Canticles. 

The  tvv'o  remaining  volumes  of  the  Family 
Expofitor,  being  the  fifth  and  fixth,  were  pub- 
liihed  by  Mr.  Orton  in  1756.  From  the  edi- 
tor's advertifement  it  appears,  that  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge had  himfelf  t:ranfcribed  for  the  prefs    the 

paraphrafcj 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     27 


paraphrafc,  improvements^  and  notes,  of  the 
fourth  and  fifth  volumes,  and  the  paraphrafe 
and  improvements  of  the  Epiftle  to  the  He- 
brews, and  the  two  firft  Epiflles  of  St.  John. 
The  notes  on  thefe  three  Epiflles,  together  with 
the  paraphrafe,  improvements,  and  notes,  on  the 
remaining  Epiflles  and  the  **  Revelation,"  were 
carefully  tranfcribed  either  by  Mr.  Ortcn  him- 
felf,  or  hy  fome  of  the  Doflor's  pupils,  and  the 
tranfcript  was  compared  feveral  tirnes  with  the 
fhort-hand  copy.  An  accident  which,  during 
the  author's  life,  happened  to  part  of  the  original 
manufcript,  deferves  to  be  recorded.  In  June, 
1750,  a  fire  broke  out  in  his  ftudy,  occafioned 
by  a  v/ax  candle's  being  left  on  his  writing  defic, 
and  confiimed  many  of  his  papers,  and,  in  parti- 
cular, part  of  one  volume  of  the  fliort-hand  copy 
of  the  Family  Expofitor.  The  light  of  the  fire 
being,  hov/ever,  providentially  difcovered  by  an 
oppofite  neighbour,  who  gave  an  immediate  a- 
larm,  it  was  fpeedily  extinguiilied.  When  the 
Do(£lor  was  informed  of  the  accident,  he  feemed 
moft  anxious  about  the  prefervation  of  this  ma- 
nufcript ;  and  when  the  flames  were  quenched, 
it  appeared,  to  his  great  joy  and  furprife,  that 
only  that  part  of  the  volume  which  had  been 
tranfcribed  was  deftroyed  ;  that  the  tranfcript 
lay  in  another  place  out  of  danger ;  and  that  all 
the  untranfcribed  pages  were  perfedtly  legible^ 
the  edges  of  them  only  being  finged.  '*  Being 
''  an  eye-witnefs/'  fays  Mr.  Orron,  ^*  of  the 
'^  danger  and  deliverance,  I  recoi*d  this  account 
'*^  of  it, — chiefly  as  it  feems  to  denote  a  particu- 
^^  Lir  care  of  Providence  in  preferving  this  work; 
S  ^  ''■  a::d 


^74     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge* 

^^  and  a  favourable  omen  that  God  intends  it 
"  for  extenfive  and  lafting  ufefulnefs."  Thofa 
who  may  not  carry  their  refleftions  fo  far  as  Mr. 
Orton  has  done,  will  fympathize  with  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge in  the  pleafure  which  he  received  in  hav- 
ing his  manufcript  preferved. 

'Of  all  our  author's  writmgs,  the  Family  Ex- 
poiitor  is  the  moft  important  and  valuable.  It 
is  the  work  in  which  he  took  the  greateft  pains, 
and  on  which  his  literary  reputation  principally 
depends.  Many  of  his  notes  difplay  a  fagacious 
and  judicious  fpirit  of  critic ifm,  and  the  pra6ti- 
cal  refledlions  are  of  general  utility.  How  well 
the  work  has  been  received  by  the  learned  and 
pious  world,  is  apparent  from  the  continued  de- 
mand for  it  down  to  the  preient  time  ;  nor  is  its 
popularity  likely  to  decreafe.  It  is  the  feventh 
edition  which  is  now  called  for  by  the  public  ; 
not' to  mention  the  feparate  impreflions  of  it  that 
have  appeared  in  Scotland  and  Ireland,  In  paiT- 
ing  a  juft  encomium  on  the  Family  Expoiitor, 
it  will  not  be  underftood  that  there  is  anv  defion 
of  afferting  that  it  is  a  performance  which  is  to- 
tally exempt  from  imperfedions  and  errors. 
Such  is  not  the  charader  of  the  beft  human 
produ'flions.  Diverfities  of  fentiment  will  oc- 
cur with  regard  to  Dr.  Doddridge's  interpreta- 
tions of  particular  paffages,  and  his  criticifms 
upon  them.  Perhaps  likewife,  in  fome  inftan- 
ccs,  his  paraphrafes  may  be  deemed  rather  too 
redundant.  '  But  no  obfervations  of  this  kind 
are  inconfiftent  with  allowing  to  the  work  the 
praife  of  its  contributing,  in  a  high  degree,  to 
chriilian   inftrudion    and   improvement.     The 

proper 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     2y^^* 

proper  inference  to  be  dra;vn  from  any  miftakes 
into  which  the  mofl  faccefsful  illucidations  of 
the  fcriptares  have  fallen,  is,  not  to  depreciate 
their  general  merit,  but  to  avoid  placing  an  un- 
due confidence  on  their  authority.  While  we 
thankfully  derive  from  them  the  afTiftance  they 
are  capable  of  aifording  us  in  our  enquiries  into 
the  meaning:  of  the  facred  oracles,  we  lliould 
freely  examine,  and  impartially  judge  for  our- 
felves. 

Dr.  Doddridge  thought  it  would  contribute 
to  the  ufefulnefs  of  his  expofition,  to  digell  the 
hiftory  of  the  four  Evangelifts  into  one  continu- 
ed feries,  or,  in  other  words,  to  throw  it  into 
the  order  of  an  harmony.  If  fjch  an  harmony 
could  be  effectually  and  decifively  afcertained, 
each  ftory  and  difcourfe  would  be  exhibited  with 
all  its  concurrent  circumftances,  as  recorded  by 
the  facred  penmen  ;  frequent  repefitions  v/ould 
be  prevented^  and  a  multitude  of  feeming  oppo- 
litions  be  fo  evidently  reconciled  as  to  faperfede 
many  objedtions.  Thefe  undoubtedly  are  de- 
firable  objeds,  and  the  attainment  of  them  is 
worthy  of  being  fought  for.  We  are  indebted 
to  the  exeirtions  of  thofe  gentlemen  who  have 
laboured  in  this  field  of  theological  literature. 
Where  they  have  not  fufficiently  fucceeded  in 
the  main  point,  they  have,  by  their  refearches, 
been  enabled  to  throw  a  new  and  beautiful  light 
on  many  pallages  of  the  evangelical  hiftorians. 
That  there  is  no  ilnall  difliculty  in  the  general 
fubjedl,  is  manifeit  from  the  various  f/ilems  that 
have  been  formed  upon  it  by  the  ableil  icholars, 
and  the  moft  judicious  critics. 

S2  One 


^7^     Memoirs  &?  Dr.  DoddridgI:. 

One  part  of  Dr.  Doddridge's  Family  Expofi- 
tor,  which  muft  have  coft  him  uncommon  pains, 
was  his  having  every  where  interwoven  the  text 
with  the  paraphrafe,  and  carefully  diftinguiflied 
the  former  from  the  latter  by  the  italic  charac- 
ter.* By  this  method  it  is  impoffible  to  read  the 
paraphrafe  without  the  text  ;  and  every  one  may 
immediately  fee,  not  only  the  particular  claufe 
to  which  any  explication  anfwers,  but  alfo  what 
are  the  words  of  the  original,  and  what  merely 
the  fenfe  of  the  commentator.  Nor  was  our 
author  content  with  barely  inferring  the  old 
tranflation,  but  gave  an  entire  new  verfion  of  the 
whole  Teftament,  the  merit  and  ufefulnefs  of 
which  will  in  many  refpeds  be  acknowledged. 
This  tranflation  was  extrafled  from  the  para- 
phrafe, and  publifl:ied  in  1765,  in  two  volumes, 
i2mo.  with  fome  alterations  and  improvements 
bwthe  editor;  together  with  an  introduQion,  and 
a  number  of  very  fliort  notes. 

The  laft  work  of  Dr.  Doddridge  which  was 
given  to  the  public,  was  his  *'  Courfe  of  Lec- 
^*  tures  on  the  principal  Subjedls  of  Pneumatol- 
*'  ogy.  Ethics,  and  Divinity  -,  with  References  to 
*'  the  moft  coniiderable  Authors  on  each  8ub- 
"  jei5t.'*  Of  the  nature  and  value  of  thefe  lec- 
tures, which  appeared  in  1763,  in  one  volume, 
quarto,  I  have  already  fpoken.  As  another  edi- 
tion may  probably  foon  be  demanded,  it  may  not 
be  amifs  to  fuggeil,  that  it  would  be  extremely 
ufeful  to  enlarge  the  lift  of  references,  by  intro- 
ducing the  names  and  prcdudions  of  thofe  wri- 
ters who  have  treated  upon  the  feveral  matters  in 
queflion  fince  the  Dodtor's  deceafe.     To  a  per- 

fon 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     277 

fon  converfant  in  the  hiflory  of  controverfies  this 
would  be  no  very  difficult  talk  ;  and  it  might, 
in  particular,  eafily  be  executed  by  any  gentle-- 
n-ian  who,  as  a  tutor,  has  made  ufe  of  the  lec- 
tures as  a  text-book,  and  who  confequently  has 
been  in  the  habit  of  referring  to  fucceeding  au- 
thors. 

If  Providence  had  continued  Dr.  Doddridge's 
life,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  endeavoured  to 
extend  his  ufefulnefs  by  many  other  publica- 
tions. He  intended  to  print  a  fermon  to  chil- 
dren, and  fome  facramental  meditations.  A 
confiderable  progrefs  had  been  made  by  him  in 
a  •'  DilTertatioii  on  the  Jewifli  Profelytes,"  the 
defign  of  which  was  to  defend  that  opinion  con- 
cerning them,  which  he  mentions  in  fome  of 
his  notes  upon  the  Ads  of  the  Apoftles.  An- 
other w^ork,  which  he  had  nearly  completed,  and 
in  which  he  difplayed  his  critical  knowledge  of 
the  Hebrew  language,  was  a  new  Tranflation  of 
the  minor  Prophets.  Neither  the  Differtation 
on  the  Jevvifh  Pfofelytes,  nor  the  Tranflation 
of  the  minor  Prophets,  were  thought  to  be 
left  in  a  fuflicient  ftate  of  perfedion  to  be 
given  to  the  world.*  The  lofs  with  regard  to 
the  lafl:  of  thefe  objects  is  the  lefs  to  be  regret- 
ed,  as  the  buiinefs  hath  lince  been  executed  with 
fo  much  judgment  and  learning  by  the  excellent 
Bifliop  Newcome. 

Upon  Dr.  Doddridge's  works  in  general  it 
would  be  eafy  to  produce  a  variety  of  encomi- 
ums. The  applaufes  he  received  were  nume- 
rous ;  and  what  added  to  their  value  was,  that 
they  came  from  men  by  whom  it  was  zn  lionour 
S  3  to. 

*  OrtcPy  ubi  fupra,  p.  107,  xij.. 


278     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

to  be  applauded.  Nor  was  it  by  the  learned 
among  the  difienters  only  that  his  abilities  and 
writings  were  held  in  high  eftimation,  but  by 
many  illuftrious  ornaments  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land. This  is  abundantly  apparent  from  the 
colle£lion  of  letters  lately  publi(hed.  There 
will  be  found,  together  with  the  praifes  of  a 
Barker,  a  Miles,  a  Neal,  a  Leland,  and  a  Lard- 
ner,  thofe  of  a  Coftard,  a  Warburton,  an  Oli- 
ver, a  Newton,  a  Seeker,  an  Ayfcough,  a  Grey, 
a  Hunt,  a  Gilbert  Weft,  a  Maddox,  a  Sherlock, 
a  Hildefley,  a  Duchefs  of  Somerfet,  and  a  Lord 
Lyttelton.  "I  have  read,"  fays  Bifliop  Seeker, 
^^  your  woks  with" great  fatisfaction,  and,  I  hope, 
*^  fome benefit ;  and  both  rejoice  and  w^onderthat, 
*^  in  the  midft  of  your  other  occupations,  you 
<*  continue  able,  as  I  pray  God  you  long  may, 
^'  to  oblige  your  fellow  chriftiaris  fo  often  and 
**  fo  highly  from  the  prefs.  Indeed  it  muft  and 
*'  ought  to  be  owned  in  general,  that  the  dif- 
*'  fenters  have  done  excellently  of  late  years  in 
**  the  fervice  of  chriftianity  ;  and  I  hope  our 
*'  common  welfare  w^ill  make  us  chiefly  atten- 
*^  tive  to  our  common  intereft,  and  unite  us  in 
**  a  clofer  alliance."  By  the  way,  the  Bifliop, 
in  the  fame  letter,  has  gently  and  properly  re- 
buked Dr.  Doddridge  for  the  extravagantly  com- 
plimental  ftrain  of  his  epiftles.  ''  I  return  you 
**  many  thanks  for  your  favourable  opinion  both 
**  of  my  fcrmon  and  its  author,  though  expref- 
^'  fed  in  a  manner  which  you  would  have  for- 
*^  born,  if  you  had  known  me  better.  Plain 
*'  men  (liould  be  treated  in  a  plain  way  :  and 
^'  nobody  (hould  have  things  fiid  to  him  which 

''  he 


Memoirs^of  Dr.  Doddridge,     279 

^'  he  doth  not  defcrve  ;    and  ought    not  to  hear 
"  if  he  did.     Let  .us   all  endeavour  to   do  what 
^'  good  we  can  ;  and  give  thofe  who  feem  Xo  en- 
*^  deavour  it  faithfully,  the  comfort  of  knowing 
*^  w^e  think  they  do  ;    but  never   tempt  one  an- 
"  other  to  forget  we  are  unprofitable  fervants."* 
The  reception   which  Dr.  Doddridge's  wTit- 
ings  met  with  abroad  deferves  to  be  fpccifically 
noticed.     It   appears  that   the  moft  confiderable 
of  them    have   been  tranflated  into  foreign  lan- 
guages.    His  Sermons  on  Regeneration,    Salva- 
tion by  Grace,  on  the  Power  and  Grace  of  Chrift, 
and  his  Letter  on  Family  Prayer,  have  been  pub- 
lifhed  in  the  Dutch  tongue.     The   Memoirs  of 
Colonel   Gardiner  have  appeared  in  the  Dutch, 
French,  and  Germ?-n  languages;  and  the  Rife  and 
Progrefs  of  Pvcligion   in   the  fame  languages,  to 
which  may  be  added  the  Danifh.     It  is  obferv- 
able,    that  the  tranflation   of  the  laft  v/ork  into 
French   was   undertaken   by  the  particular  en- 
couragement of  the   late  Prince  and  Princefs  of 
Orange,  and  a  number  of  the  gentry  in  Holland. 
A  Proteftant    Prince    of  the  empire  promifed  to 
recommend    it   to  thofe  about  him  ;   and  it  w^as 
fubfcribed  for  by    many  perfons  of  quality  and 
rich  citizens  in  Germany  and  Switzerland.   Some 
learned   men    undertook   to  tranilate  the  former 
volumes  of  the  Family  Expofitor  into  German  ; 
but  the  publication  of  it  was  oppofed  by  feveral 
of  the  Lutheran   clergy,   from  an   apprehenfion 
that  Dr.  Doddridge's  interpretation  of  particular 
paffages,    and  his  reiledions  upon  them,   might 
not   agree    v/ith    their  e/iabliincd  principles,  or 
S4  form 

•  Letters,  ubi  fupr^,  p.  2;S. 


2So     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

form  of  church  government.  To  remove  their 
terrors,  the  perfons  concerned  in  the  tranflation 
firft  publiflied  the  Sermons  on  Regeneration  in 
that  language  ;  the  candour  and  moderation  of 
which  had  fuch  an  efFed:  in  quieting  the  oppoii- 
tion,  that  the  other  work  Vv^as  completed."* 

Such  was  the  eftimatlon  in  which  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge's writings  have  been  held,  and  continue 
to  be  held,  both  at  home  and  abroad.  It  does 
not,  however,  hence  follovv',  that  his  moft  fin- 
cere  admirers  will  think  themfelves  obliged  to 
concur  with  him  in  every  fentiment  and  every 
expreffion.  Many  judicious  perfons  have  wilh- 
ed  that  his  devotional  treatifes  had  been  more 
accommodated  to  univerfal  ufe,  by  a  lefs  Calvin- 
iftical  turn  of  opinion  and  language.  "  I  reck- 
*^  on  it  one  unbappinefs,"  fays  Mr,  Jones  of 
Welwyn,  '' of  this  excellent  maa  (my  much 
^'  refpefted  friend)  that,  having  early  imbibed 
^'  the  notions  of  fome  particular  fyftems,  he 
^*  could  not  diflodge  them  out  of  his  mind  in  his 
*'  age  of  riper  judgment.  This  hath  been  ob- 
'*  ferved  hy  others.'*  Mr.  Jones  adds,  that  the 
Doctor's  parts  were  uncommon,  his  learning 
great,  his  moderation  equally  fo,  and  his  life  and 
condud  truly  chriflian.-f  Upon  the  whole, 
whatever  diverfity  of  judgment  may  be  formed 
on  different  points,  the  grand  end  which  Dr. 
Doddridge  had  in  view,  and  the  generally  ufeful 
tendency  of  his  works,  cannot  be  denied.  In 
e/ery  thing  which  he  wrote,  his  aim  was  to  pro- 
mote the  great  purpofes  of  practical  religion. 

The 

*  Of  ton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  123—124. 

f  Gentleman's  M3ga2:ne,  vol.  liii.  p  103. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     281 

The  narrative  Vvhich  has  now  been  given  of 
Dr.  Doddridge's  life,  has  difplayed  the  princiT 
pal  circumftances  that  ilUiftrate  his  temper  and 
conduct.  Neverthelefs,  I  cannot  difoiifs  the 
fabjecft  without  entering  into  a  general  view  of 
his  character.  This  I  am  induced  to  do,  partly 
as  it  will  afford  me  an  opportunity  of  mention- 
ing fome  things  not  hitherto  noiiced,  and  partly 
becaufe  I  have  the  fehcity,  in  the  prefent  cafe, 
of  writing  from  an  intimate  perfonal  knowledge  ; 
which  is  a  fatisfaction  that  has  not  frequently 
occurred  in  the  numerous  lives  I  have  had  oc- 
cafion  to  lay  before  the  public.  The  view 
which  I  fliall  take  of  oar  author  will  be  of  his 
intelleflual,  and  of  his  religious  and  moral  qual- 
ities. 

I  do  not  knov7  that  genius  can  be  afcribed  to 
Dr.  Doddridge,  taking  that  word  in  its  higheft 
fignification,  as  employing  either  a  great  inven- 
tive faculty  in  fcience,  or  that  boldnefs  of  ima- 
<?ination  which  is  produ(5i:ive  of  ori2:inal  imagerv 
and  combinations.  In  a  lower  and  more  popu- 
lar fenfe  of  the  term,  he  might  be  faid  to  have 
been  a  man  of  genius  ;  for  he  had  a  quick  con- 
ception and  a  lively  fancy.  He  had  a  com  pre- 
henfion  of  mind  that  enabled  him  to  proceed 
with  celerity  and  vigour  in  the  acquihtion  of 
knowledge  ;  and  that  adivity  of  his  mental 
frame,  w^hich  put  it  into  his  power  to  learn 
much  in  a  little  time,  was  happily  accompanied 
with  an  invincible  refoiution  and  pcrfcvcrancc 
in  the  profecution  of  his  flndies.  In  confe- 
quence  of  hi?  uncommon  application,  ]^:e  nnght 
even  with  moderate  abilities  have  laid  \vp  a  large 

itock 


zSz     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

ftock  of  various  learning ;  and  therefore  it  is  not 
furprifmg  that  this  fl-iould  be  the  cafe  with  him, 
when  it  is  conlldered  that  he  was  endued  vAxh  a 
quicknefs  of  apprehenfion,  and  a  remarkable 
ftrength  of  memory-  So  extenfivc  w^as  his  ac- 
quaintance with  books,  that  there  were  few  on 
the  general  fubjeds  of  literature  which  he  had 
not  perufed  with  attention  ;  and  he  could  retain 
and  eafily  recolledl  what  in  them  was  moil  wor- 
thy to  be  remembered.  Of  ancient  knowledge 
he  had  a  confiderable  ftore.  With  re^rard  to  the 
leai-ned  languages,  if  he  could  not  be  called  a 
profound  linguifl,  he  v/as  fufficiently  verfed  in 
them  to  read  the  mofl  valuable  pieces  of  antiqui- 
ty with  tafte  and  pleafure.  This  is  apparent 
from  his  paraphrafe  and  notes  on  the  New  Tefta- 
rnent,  in  which  he  has  frequently  illufhrated  the 
force  and  beauty  of  the  originals  with  great  judg- 
ment, and  in  the  true  fpirit  of  criticifm.* 

Dr.  Doddridge  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
Greek  philofophcrs  and  orators,  among  the  laft 
of  whom  he  was  particularly  devoted  to  De- 
mofthenes.  To  the  poets  of  Greece  he  was  far 
from  being  a  ftranger;  but  he  was  not,  I  think, 
deeply  converfant  v/ith  its  tragedians.  I  remem- 
ber, while  I  refided  with  him,  his  having  read 
Pindar  with  much  admiration.  With  the  Latin 
clafiics  he  was  largely  acquainted.  As  became 
a  divine  and  a  theological  tutor,  he  diligently 
fludied  the  ancient  fathers,  efpecially  of  the  three 
firft  centuries.  He  paid  particular  regard  to  the 
apologifls  for  chriflianity,  and  was  a  great  maft;er 
of  Origen  and  Eufebius.     Beyond  the  fourth 

century 

♦  Oiton,  ubl  fnpr?,  p.  105—10;'. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     283 

century  his  knowledge  of  this  fpecics  of  litera- 
ture did  not,  I  believe,  widely  extend,  though  it 
did  not  wholly  flop  there.  With  eccleiiartical 
hiftory  he  Iiad  a  large  acquaintance,  and  civil 
hiftory  engaged  no  fmall  degree  of,  his  attention. 
To  this  he  applied  not  only  to  enrich  his  memo- 
ry with  fa6ls,  but  to  make  fuch  reflections  upon 
them,  a^  tended  either  to  promote  his  infight 
into  human  nature,  to  exemplify  the  interpoii- 
tions  of  Providence,  or  to  explain  and  illuftrate 
the  facred  writings. 

Though  Dr.  Doddridge's  difpofition  rather  led 
him  to  cultivate  the  more  polite  than  the  ab~ 
ftrufer  parts  of  fcience,  he  was  far  from  being  a 
ilranger  to  mathematical  and  philofophical  ftu- 
dies.  The  fyflem  of  Algebra  which  he  read  to 
his  pupils  was  of  his  own  compofition.  But  the 
favourite  object  of  his  application,  and  that  in 
which  his  principal  excellency  lay,  w^as  divinity, 
taking  that  w^ord  in  its  largeft  icniQ,  Whatever 
could  tend  to  ftrengthen  the  proofs  of  natural  or 
revealed  religion,  to  afiift  our  conceptions  of  the 
divine  Nature,  or  enable  us  more  perfectly  to  un- 
derfland  the  dodtrines  and  difcoveries  of  fcripture, 
he  thous:ht  defervin^  of  the  moft  attentive  re- 
gard.  To  the  evidences  of  the  jev^ifh  and  chrif- 
tian  revelation  he  had  paid  uncommon  attention, 
and  how  complete  a  mafter  he  v/as  of  the  fubjedt 
is  apparent  from  his  ledures.  Perhaps  there 
were  few  men  who  had  more  carefully  ftudied 
the  different  fyftems  of  theology,  or  who  could 
point  out  their  feveral  defeds  uith  greater  accu- 
racy  and  judgment.  While  he  was  not  one  of 
thofe  w^ho  alfqcl  to  treat  with  contempt  the  k- 

bc  urs 


284     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

hours  of  the  wife  and  the  learned  who  have  gone 
before  them,  but  was  always  ready  to  receive 
whatever  light  they  could  afford  him,  neverthe- 
lefs,  without  a  ilaviih  regard  to  human  fchemes, 
he  took  the  facred  oracles  for  his  guide,  and  al- 
ways referred  to  thenx  for  the  proofs  of  the  doc- 
trinal fentiments  which  he  maintained.  Upon 
the  whole,  I  entirely  agree  with  Mr.  Orton, 
that,  though  others  might  exceed  him  in  their 
acquaintance  with  antiquity,  or  their  fkill  in  the 
languages,  he  was  furpaffed  by  few  in  the  extent 
of  his  learning,  and  in  the  variety  of  ufeful  and, 
important  knowledge  of  which  he  was  poffelfed.* 
With  thefe  flores  of  information,  it  was  a 
great  advantage  to  Dr.  Doddridge  that  he  had 
an  uncommon  facihty  of  fpeaking  and  of  writ- 
ing. He  ufed  to  defcant,  in  his  leflures,  on 
the  fubjedts  treated  of,  with  farpriiing  perfpi- 
cuity  and  freedom  ;  and  the  fam.e  perfpicuity 
and  freedom  attended  him  when  he  took  the 
pen  in  hand.  This  was  owing  to  the  orderly 
difpofition  in  which  things  lay  in  his  mind. 
As  his  own  ideas  on  the  points  he  had  ftudied, 
were  clear  and  diftincl,  fo  his  method  of  ar- 
ranging his  thoughts  was  uncommonly  juft  and 
natural.  There  are,  perhaps,  few  difcourfes  in 
our  language  which  excel  thcfe  which  were 
ufually  delivered  by  our  author,  either  in  the  ac- 
curacy of  the  divifons,  or  the  adaptation  of  the 
fentiments  to  the  fabjedl  difcuffed.  According 
to  tlie  faO~iion  that  now  prevails,  he  may  poffibly 
be  thought  to  have  fometimes  laid  down  and 
recapitulated  his  fcheme  in  too  formal  a  manner. 

But 

*   Ibid     p     1C7 — 1 10. 


MexMgirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.      285 

But  if  he  rather  exceeded  in  this  refpeft,  his  er- 
ror had  the  advantage  of  aiTifting  the  niemory, 
and  contributing  to  the  inftrutlioa  of  his  hearers 
and  readers. 

Though  Dr.  Doddridge's  invincible  perfevcr- 
?.nc^  in  fl:udy  has  already  been  mentioned,  I 
am  deiirous  of  enlarging  a  little  farther  upon  it. 
Literary  diligence  is  a  matter  which  I  have  al- 
ways earneflly  wilhed  to  prefs  on  every  young 
man  of  liberal  education  with  whom  I  have  had 
acquaintance.  When  accompanied  with  original 
genius,  it  is  the  parent  of  all  that  is  great  and 
vaUiable  in  fcience  ;  and  where  there  is  not  much 
of  original  genius,  provided  there  be  a  tolerable 
capacity,  it  is  endued  with  the  power  of  pro- 
ducing valuable  attainments,  and  of  rendering 
eminent  fervices  to  the  learned  world.  Of  this 
diUgence  Dr.  Doddridge  was  a  ftriking  example. 
The  fmalleft  portions  of  time  were  precious  to 
him  ;  and  he  was  eager  to  ieize  every  moment, 
even  while  he  was  waiting  for  dinner,  company,  or 
his  pupils  affembling  together,  that  he  m-ight 
make  fome  advance  in  any  work  in  w'hich  he 
was  engaged.  So  folicitous  was  he  for  continu- 
al improvement,  that  one  of  his  frudents  gene- 
rally read  to  him  when  he  was  Slaving  and  dref- 
fing.  This  w^as  a  benefit  to  the  pupils,  as  he 
took  occafion  to  infirudt  them,  by  rem^arking  on 
their  manner  of  reading,  and  pointing  out  the 
excellencies  and  de.C^ds,  either  in  fentiment  or 
language^  of  the  book  before  themi*  When  he 
was  upon  a  journey,  or  on  occafional  vihts  to  his 
friends,  where  he  fpent  the  night,  he  took  his 
papers  with  him.,    and    employed  at  leai'i  part  of 

the- 


286      Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

the  morning  in  carrying-on  fome  one  or  other  of 
his  important  defigns.  From  the  time  that  he 
began  to  write  his  Family  Expofitor,  fomething 
was  done  every  day  in  it  towards  preparing  it  for 
the  prefs.  To  all  this  it  may  be  added,  that  his 
employments  as  an  author  and  a  tutor,  never  ob- 
ilrudted  his  mod  abundant  labours  as  a  minifter 
and  a  paftor. 

But  what  places  Dr.  Doddridge's  diligence  in 
a  ftill  more  confpicuoas  point  of  view,  is  the  e?:- 
tent  of  his  correfpondence.  This  alone  would 
have  been  almofl  iufficient  to  have  employed  the 
whole  time  of  an  ordinary  psrfon.  Beiides  his 
correfpondence  with  the  parents  and  guardians 
of  his  pupils,  he  had  a  number  of  letters  to  write, 
in  anfv/er  to  queftions  of  m.oment  which  were 
propofed  tX)  him  by  his  brethren,  and  efpecially 
by  thofe  who  had  fludied  under  }iim.  Thefe  lafl: 
naturally  applied  to  him  for  advice  and  direction, 
under  the  various  difficulties  v/hich  occurred  to 
them  in  their  refpedtive  fituations.  Pvlany  were 
the  conerei^ations  that  had  recourfe  to  him  for 
minifiers,  or  upon  other  accounts.  His  judg- 
ment, likev/ife,  was  fi'cquently  deiired  by  learned 
men,  concerning  critical  queflions,  or  works 
which  they  were  preparing  for  the  prefs  ;  and 
Ins  own  publications  gave  occaiion  for  enquiries 
of  this  nature.  Several  foreign  gentlemen  and 
divines,  who  had  heard  of  his  charadler,  and  pe- 
rufed  his  writings,  fought  his  epiflolary  acquaint- 
ance ;  and  to  correfpond  with  them  in  Latin  or 
French,  was  an  ohjeCc  that  demanded  particular 
attention.  It  is,  indeed,  furprifmg  to  find  how 
manv  hundred  letters  were  received  and  anfwer- 
ed  by  him,  in  the  fpace  of  a  fingle  year.*  A 

*  Orton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  14.3,  144.. 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Doddridge.      287 

A  very  honourable  part  of  Dr.  Doddridge's 
corrcfpondence  was  that  which  he  maintained 
v/ith  fome  of  the  brighteft  ornaments,  both 
among  the  clergy  and  laity  of  the  eftablifhed 
church.  This  is  apparent  from  the  Collection 
of  Letters  lately  publithed.  We  there  fee  how 
much  he  was  efieemcd,  and  how  highly  he  was 
thought  of,  by  the  firft  religious  and  literary 
charatfcers  of  the  age.  In  the  collection  referred 
to,  the  letters  of  Warburton  make  a  diftinguifli- 
ed  figure,  and  (hew  that  great  man  in  a  new  and 
very  amiable  light.  They  difplay  not  only  his 
learning,  but  the  piety,  benevolence,  and  good- 
nefs  of  his  mind.  The  feverity,  or  rather  the 
arrogance,  with  which  he  treated  his  literary  an- 
tagonifts  muft  undoubtedly  have  afforded  too 
juft  caufe  for  leaving  an  unfavourable  impreiTion 
of  him  in  the  eftimation  of  the  world.  But  in 
private  life  he  appears  in  a  far  more  agreeable 
point  of  view.  The  only  time  I  had  ever  the 
honour  of  being  in  his  company,  v;hich  was  an 
hour  and  a  half  in  his  own  fludy,  I  found  him 
remarkably  condefcending  in  his  oianner,  and 
admirably  inftructive  and  entertaining  in  his  con- 
vcrfation. 

Dr.  Doddridge's  corrcfpondence  was,  I  think, 
in  Ibme  inftances  carried  to  an  extent  that  might 
Iiave  been  fpared  ;  and  it  is  nov/  certain  that  his 
friend  Mr.  Neal  v/as  fo  far  of  the  fame,  opinion, 
as  to  give  him  a  gentle  rebuke  upon  thefabjed.* 
There  were  people,  whofe  good  intentions  were 
iuperior  to  their  wifdom,  and  who  had  very  lit- 
'  tie  valuable  to  communicate,  that  were  proud  of 


writing 


Letter?,  ubi  funrs,  p.  395,  -ic;!. 


sSo     PvIexMoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

writing  letters  to  him,  and  of  receiving  his  an- 
fwers  ;  and  fuch  was  the  eafinefs  of  his  difpofi- 
tion,  that  he  Vv'as  more  profufe  in  his  returns  to 
their  kind  affedtions,  than  convenience  or  even  a 
regard  to  his  health  would  admit.  Sometimes 
he  lightened  his  burden,  by  making  ufe  of  the 
pen  of  his  pupils,  to  whom  he  di(flated  his  letters, 
while  he  himfelf  went  on  with  his  Family  Ex- 
pofitor,  or  any  other  work  in  which  he  was  em- 
ployed. I  v/as  not  unfrequently  either  his  aman- 
uenfis  on  thefe  occafions,  or  read  to  him  while 
he  anfvvered  his  correfpondents. 

I. am  next  to  take  a  furvey  of  Dr.  Doddridge 
in  his  religious  and  moral  character.  And  here 
the  prime  and  leading  feature  of  his  foul  was 
that  of  devotion.  This  was  the  pervading  prin- 
ciple of  his  adions,  wTiCther  private  or  public. 
What  Dr.  Johnibn  has  obferved  with  regard  to 
Dr.  Watts,  that  as  piety  predominated  in  his 
mind,  it  was  dif/ufed  over  his  v/orks  ;  and  that 
whatever  he  took  in  hand  was,  by  his  inceflant 
fcficitudc  for  fouls,  converted  to  theology,*  may 
with  equal  propriety  be  applied  to  Dr.  Doddridge. 
The  grcateil  pains  v/ere  taken  by  him  to  keep 
up  an  habituvd  fenfe  of  the  Supreme  Being  ;  to 
maintain  and  increafe  the  ardour  of  religion  in 
liis  heart ;  and  to  furniui  himfelf,  by  devout  ex- 
erciies,  for  the  important  labours  of  his  ftation. 
Nor  v/as  it  to  his  fccret  retirements  that  his  pie- 
ty wai'i  limited  :  it  was  manifefled  in  every  part 
of  the  day,  and  appeared  in  his  ufual  intercourfe 
with  men.  In  the  little  vacancies  of  time  which 
occur  to  the  bufieil  of  mankind,  he  was  fre- 
quently 

•  Jchrif:^irt  Lives  of '.he  PoetSjVo!.  iv-  p.  iSo, 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     289 

iq»iently  lifting  up  his  foul  to  God.  When  he 
le(5tured  on  philofophy,  hiftory,  anatomy,  or 
other  fubjeds  not  immediately  theological,  he 
would  endeavour  to  graft  fome  religious  inftruc- 
tions  upon  them,  that  he  might  raife  the  minds 
of  his  pupils  to  devotion,  as  well  as  to  know- 
ledge ;  and  in  his  vifits  to  his  people  the  chrif- 
tian  friend  and  minifter  were  united."* 

Dr.  Doddridge  entertained  a  high  idea  of  the 
eflicacy  of  prayer. -j-  It  is  a  point  upon  which  I 
would  fpeak  with  great  humility  and  deference  ; 
but  I  cannot  avoid  thinking  that,  in  this  refpeQj, 
he  carried  his  fentim.ents  fomewhat  farther  than 
reafon  and  truth  will  warrant.  Of  the  import- 
ance of  prayer,  as  a  natural  and  juft  tribute  to 
the  Deityj  as  an  admirable  method  of  cherifliing 
the  virtues  of  the  religious  life,  and  as  conne6t^ 
ed  with  the  divine  approbation  and  favour,  no 
one,  I  trull,  can  be  riiore  truly  fenfible  than  my- 
felf.  My  views  of  the  matter  have  lately  been 
fo  fully  difplayed,  that  they  cannot  be  liable  to 
any  mifconftruction,;}:  But  flill  I  am  obliged  to 
obferve,  that  Dr.  Doddridge  did  not,  in  my  ap- 
prehenfion^  fufficiently  limit  his  notions  of  the 
efficacy  of  prayer.  He  appeared  to  afcribe  to  it 
fach  an  immediate  influence  upon  the  Suprem.e 
mind,  and  to  expe(fl:  from  it  fuch  interpofitions^ 
as  are  fcarcely  confiflent  with  the  regular  order 
of  Providence^  and  the  ftated  courfe  of  events  in 
the  world;  If,  however,  he  erred  upon  this 
head,  he  has  erred  with  many  wife  and  good 
T  men 

•  Ortdn.  ubi  fiipra,  p.  260,  263.  f  Ibid.  p.  241, 

t   Sermons  on  pra^ical  Subjects.     Sermon  the  Seventli; 


290     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge, 

men  who  have  gone  before  him,  and  by  whom 
he  has  been  fucceeded.  Perhaps  Dr.  Price  and 
Dr.  Ogden  may  be  added  to  the  number. 

The  piety  of  Dr.  Doddridge  was  accompanied 
with  the  warmed  benevolence  to  his  fellow  crea- 
tures. No  one  could  more  ftrongly  feel  that 
the  love  of  God  was  to  be  united  with  love  to 
man.  Nor  was  this  a  principle  that  refted  in 
kind  wiflies  and  pathetic  feelings  for  the  happi- 
nefs  of  others,  but  was  manifefted  in  the  moft 
acflive  exertions  for  their  welfare.  No  fcheme 
of  doing  good  was  ever  propofed  to  him  into 
which  he  did  not  enter  with  ardour.  This  was 
apparent  from  many  circumftances  that  might 
copioully  be  enlarged  upon,  did  it  comport  with 
my  prefent  purpofe.  His  Sermon  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  County  Hofpital  at  Northampton  has 
been  fpoken  of  before  ;  and  it  may  here  be  add- 
ed, that  he  not  only  contributed  generoufly  to 
that  hofpital,  but  fpent  much  time  in  ripening 
the  defign.  He  often  refledted,  with  great  fa- 
tisfatlion,  on  the  pains  he  had  taken  to  eftablifh 
this  charity,  and  on  the  good  effedfcs  which  it 
had  produced,  both  in  relieving  many  objects  of 
diflrefs,  and  in  promoting  a  focial  and  catholic 
fpirit  among  perlons  of  different  parties  and  per- 
fuafions.  It  was  at  his  own  expenfe  that  he 
printed  and  diftributed  his  ''  Friendly  Letter  to 
the  Private  Soldiers  of  a  Regiment  of  Foot." 
During  the  rebellion  of  1745,  he  was  remarka- 
bly zealous  in  the  caufe  of  his  king  and  his 
country,  and  contributed  to  the  raifing  of  a  regi- 
ment under  the  command  of  the  earl  of  Halifax, 
by  his  own  liberahty,  as  Well  as  by  his  influence 

over 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     291 

over  others.  In  the  cafe  of  a  poor  Irifhman, 
whom  he  thought  to  be  unjuftly  condemned  for 
murder,  he  exerted  himfelf  in  a  very  extraordina- 
ry manner,  though  without  fuccefs.  But  the 
gcneroiity  of  his  mind  was  the  mod  difplayed 
when  any  fchemes  for  propagating  religion,  and 
for  fpreading  the  gofpel  among  thofe  v/ho  were 
ftrangers  to  it,  were  propofed.  In  every  thing 
of  this  kind  he  was  always  ready  to  take  the 
lead,  and  was  ardent  in  endeavouring  to  infpire 
his  friends  with  the  fame  fpirit.* 

No  one  could  be  more  amiable  than  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge was  in  his  private  virtues  and  manners. 
It  would  be  needlefs  to  enlarge  on  the  tendernefs 
of  his  afredions  as  a  hufband,  a  father,  and  a  re- 
lation :  nor  is  it  neceflary  to  inliit  upon  his  con- 
duct to  his  pupils.  If  he  occafionally  diftin- 
guifhed  any  one  of  them  by  his  particular  fa- 
vour, this  did  not  hinder  his  behaving  to  all  of 
them  with  the  kindnefs  of  a  parent  ;  and  his 
regard  to  them  was  never  abated,  excepting  from 
their  own  fault.  In  the  charavfler  of  a  friend  he 
fhone  with  diftinguifhed  luflre.  Of  friendihip 
he  entertained  a  fablime  idea,  and  his  heart  was 
admirably  fitted  for  difcharging  all  the  offices, 
and  relifhing  all  the  delights,  of  this  endearing 
connexion.  It  was  the  happy  lot  of  his  life  to 
be  honoured  with  many  valuable  and  faithful 
friends  ;  and  how  fenfible  he  w^s  of  his  felicity 
in  this  refreil  was  difplayed  in  every  return  of 
gratitude,  efteem,  and  aifedion,*!'  His  deport- 
ment in  Qompmy  was  ftrikingly  polite,  afiable, 
and  agreeable  ;  and  in  converfation  he  greatly  ex- 
T  2  celled  5 

•  Orton,  ubi  fucrs;  p^  371—181.  f  I^'<^'  P-  ^S^* 


292     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

celled  ;  his  difcourfe  being  at  once  inftrudlve 
and  entertaining,  and  not  unfrequently  rifing  to 
the  fplendid. 

The  candour  of  Dr.  Doddridge*s  mind  rela- 
tive to  his  fentiments  of  other  perfons  merits 
was  carried  to  the  higheft  pitch,  and  indeed 
was  fometimes  fo  excelTive  as  to  lead  him  to 
form  a  far  better  opinion  of  feveral  of  his  ac- 
quaintance than  in  fa6t  they  deferved.  This 
fault  was  gently  and  pleafantly  touched  upon  by 
Mr.  Barker,  in  one  of  his  letters.     ^*  But  are 

*  you  aware,''  fays   he,    **  what  a  creature  you 

*  are  ?  I  love  you  beyond  exprelTion,  and  admire 

*  your  abilities,  furniture,  fpirits,  &c.  more  than 
^  you  imagine  ;  and  not  a  man  in  the  world  re- 
^  joices  more  in  your  ufefulnefs  than  I  do  ;  and 
'  yet  I  often  make  myfelf  merry  with  your  cha- 
'  radter  and  conduct.  You  are  fo  entirely  de- 
'  voted  to  God,  to  truth,  and  holinefs,  that  it 
^  is  very  eafy  to  impofe  upon  you  under  the  ap- 
'  pearance  of  any  of  thefe.  And  you  are  fo  per- 
'  feclly  made  up  of  civility,  candour,  and  good 
'  nature,  that  a  pious  enthufiaft,  or  a  godly 
^  dunce,  is  welcome  to  your  table,  arms,  and 
'  heart.  You  are  fo  good  yourfelf,  that  you 
'  think  every  body  ten  times  better  than  they 
'  are  ;  fee  merit  in  the  darknefs  of  midnight  ; 
^  cannot  fee  faults  without  a  noon-day  fun  ; 
'  forgive  injuries  before  they  are  confeffed  ;  and 
^confer    favours  as    a    reward   for    affronts."* 

With  fuch  a  difpofition  of  mind,  it  is  not  fur- 
prlfing  that  Dr.  Doddridge  ihould  frequently 
be  unable   to    refill:    the  arts  of  deception  :    and 

yet 

*  Letters,  uhi  fupia,  p.  159. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     293 

yet  this  did  not  proceed  from  a  general  ignorance  of 
the  world.     He  was  well  acquainted  with  men 
and   with  manners,   and   could  often  enter  into, 
and  difcriminate,  with  no  fmall  degree  of  pene* 
tration,  the  charadlers  of  mankind.     But,  at  the 
fame  time,  fo  ardent  were  the  feelings  of  his  pi- 
ety, and  fuch  was  the  fuavity  of  his  temper,  that 
he   could  not   eafily  perfuade  himfelf  that  any 
perfons  were  infincere,  who  made  a  profefi'ion  of 
religion  and  goodnefs.     There  is  a  coniiderable 
difference  between  a    fpeculative  and  a  pra<flical 
knowledge    of  the  world.     A  man  may  pofiefs 
much   of  the  former,    and  yet,    from  a  certain 
flexibility  and  tendernefs  of  mind,  have  little  of 
the  latter.     In  particular  inftances,  he  may  have 
fagacity  enough  to  fufped  deceit,  while  he  re- 
fufes  to  indulge  the  fufpicion,  left  it  (hould  lead 
him  to  err  in  his  judgment,  and  be  a  motive  for 
obllruding    the   exertions    of  his  benevolence. 
Such    was    the   cafe   with    Dr.  Doddridge,  and 
fuch,  al fo,  was  the  cafe  with  George  Lord  Lyt- 
telton.     They  v/ould  both  of  them  rather  have 
chofen  to  be  miftaken,  than  to  have  lofl  an  op-     J 
portunity    of  contributing   to   the  rehef  of  real   M 
diftrefs.  ■ 

In  his  fentiments  of  thofe  who  differed  frora 
him  in  religious  opinions.  Dr.  Doddridge  exer- 
cifed  great  moderation.  He  never  confined  truth 
or  goodnefs  to  one  particular  f^ft ;  and  he  be- 
haved with  the  utmoft  candour  to  the  members 
of  the  church  of  England.  Oi  the  eftabliflied 
religion  of  his  country  he  alvvays  fpoke  with 
refpedt  ;  and  he  never  made  any  petulant  objec- 
tions to  its  w^onliip  or  difcipline,  or  uttered 
T  3  again fl: 


294     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge. 

againft  it  any  fevere  or  unkind  refleflionSc     Kis 
correfpondence   with   vaiious    clergymen  of  the 
higheft  rank  and    merit  has  heretotore  been  no- 
ticed.    It  was    deeply   lamented  by  him,   that  a 
reparation   from  the   eftabhihment  was,   in  his 
apprehenfion,  and  that  of  many  oiher  good  men, 
rendered  fo  neceffary  ;    and    he    fincerely  wiiTied 
and  prayed  for  a  greater  union  among  Proteftants. 
A  hke  candid  and  friendly  ipirit  he  endeavoured 
to  promote  among  his    pupils  ;   and   he  did  it 
with  fuccefs  ;  for  few  of  them,  I  believe,  can  be 
mentioned,    who  have  not,    in  this  refpe^l,   fol- 
lowed   the    inftruftions    and    imitated    the    ex-- 
ampie    of  their    tutor.*     With   all   Dr.    Dod- 
dridge's moderation  of  temper,   he    did    not  in 
every  cafe  meet  with  a  fuitable  return.     Some 
time  after  he  had  fet  up  his  academy  at  North- 
ampton, a  profecution  was  commenced  againft 
him  in  the  ecclefiaftical  court,  by  the  inftigation 
of  feveral  dignitaries  of  the  church.     The  ftep, 
however,  was  totally  difapproved   of  by   many 
other   eminent  members   of   the  eftablifhment. 
Neverthelefs,  the  perfons   who  had  engaged  in 
the   bufinefs  feemed    determined  to  carry  it  on 
with  vigour  ;   and,  as  the  laws  then  flood,  they 
muft  have  fucceeded  in  their  defign,  had  not  an 
application  be^n  made  to  King  George   the   Se- 
cond, who  received,  from    fome    gentlem.en   of 
rank  and  influence,  fuch  a  juft  reprefentation  of 
the  Do-ftor's  loyal,  peaceable,  and  moderate  prin- 
ciples and  charafter,  as  induced  his    Majefliy   to 
give    an  exi)refs  order  fqr  putting  a  flop  to  the 
profecution.-f- 

That 

^  O.ton,  ^^h\   fupra,  p.  i^'^'—iCo,   j6i,  164.    - 
t  Ibid.  p.  203. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     295 

That  candour  of  mind  which  Dr.  Doddridge 
cxercifed  towards  the  members  of  the  eflablilli- 
cd  church,  was  cultivated  by  him  with  regard 
to  his  diiienting  brethren,  of  different  denomi- 
nations. He  was  fohcitous  to  be  upon  friendly 
terms,  as  far  as  poffible,  with  all  of  them  ;  and 
by  the  generality  of  them  he  was  held  in  high 
ertimation.  If  this  was  not  the  cafe  v^ithout 
exception,  it  will  not  appear  furpriling  to  thofe 
who  refle<5l  upon  the  diverfities  of  fentiment 
that  are  found  among  the  diflenters.  There 
were  a  few  among  them  who  even  went  fo  far 
as  to  charge  him  with  infmcerity.  The  ac- 
cufation  they  brought  againfl  him  was,  that  he 
ufed  fome  particular  phrafes,  in  his  writings,  in 
a  fenfe  different  from  that  in  which  he  himfelf 
underftood  them,  in  order  to  pleafe  a  party.  A 
friend  having  acquainted  him  with  this  charge, 
he  anfwered  as  follows  :  **  My  confcience  doth 
^'  not  tell  me  that  I  am  at  all  to  blame  on  the 
*^  head  you  mention.  .  I  write  for  the  public  (as 
**  I  would  alfo  do  in  every  private  correfpond- 
*^  ence)  as  in  the  prefence  of  God,  and  in  the 
**  views  of  his  judgment.  I  would  not  pur- 
*'  chafe  that  phantom,  popularity,  w^hich  is  oft- 
*'  en  owing  to  the  very  worfl  part  of  a  man's 
**  charaQier  or  performances^  by  any  complian- 
'*  ces  beneath  the  dignity  of  achriflian  minifter  ; 
^^  an  office,  of  which  I  think  fo  Iiighly,  as  to  be 
**  deeply  fenfible  how  unworthy  I  am  to  bear  it. 
''  On  the  other  hand,  I  do  indeed  defire  to  give 
*'  as  little  offence  as  1  honeftly  Ccin  ;  and  I  have 
'*  high  authorities  for  it  :  and  though  I  am,  and 
"^  always  declare  that  I  am,  in  my  judgment,  grcat- 


4  "  5y 


b 


296     Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge* 

^'  ly  againft  the  impofition  of  human  phrafes,  yet, 
<^  as  feme  can  hardly  be  avoided  on  the  one  hand  or 
**  the  other,  I  choofe  to  adopt  and  ufe  fome  that  are 
*^  ambiguous,  in  what  I  take  to  be  a  fair  fenfe, 
''  though  not  the  only  fenfe  they  might  bear  ; 
**  and  by  declaring  it,  to  endeavour  to  fix  a  good 
*'  idea  to  them,  rather  than  abfolutely  to  declare 
*^  againft,  or  even  totally  to  difufe  them.  Oth- 
*^  ers,  wider  by  far  in  their  fentiments  than  I, 
*'  are  indulged  in  this,  and  even  applauded  for  it  : 
•^^  I  have  the  misfortune  (I  cannot  ufe  the  word 
^'  more  properly)  to  be  condemned."*  Whilfl 
I  have  a  full  conviction  of  Dr.  Doddridsfe's  fin- 
cerity  in  this  matter,  I  cannot  agree  with  him 
in  opinion.  Offenfive  expreffions  may  juftly  be 
avoided  ;  but  furely,  ambiguous  ones  ihould  ne- 
ver defignedly  be  adopted.  The  language  we 
ufe,  in  delivering  our  viev/s  of  things,  ought  to 
be  natural,  clear,  and  capable  only  of  one  fignifi- 
cation. 

The  charge  I  have  mentioned  againft  Dr. 
Doddridge  with  regard  to  his  writings,  has 
been  extended  to  his  preaching.  By  fome  of 
his  enemies  it  was  afferted,  that  he  was  a  trim- 
mer in  the  pulpit.  The  fadt,  I  am  fatisfied, 
was  precifely  as  follows.  When  he  preached 
in  diiFerent  places,  he  fo  far  accommodated 
himfelf  to  the  difpofitions  of  the  people  before 
whom  he  difcourfed,  as  to  avoid  giving  of- 
fence. If  a  congregation  confifted  of  perfons 
who  were  of  free  fentiments  in  religion,  his 
fermon  was  entirely  of  a  practical  nature.  On 
the  other  hand,  in  preaching  before  a  Calvin - 

iftical 

^f  Or  ton,  ubi  Aipra,  p<  221. 


Memoirs  of  Dr.  Doddridge.     297 

iftical   fociety,  it    v/as   cuftomary  with  him   to 
choole  what  was  called  an   evangelical   fubjeft. 
In  neither  cafe  did  he  deliver  any  thing  that  was 
contrary  to  his    lincere  opinion.     His  accufers 
did  not  fufiiciently  recolledl  that  he  was  far  more 
devoted  to  what  were  deemed  the-^orthodox  doc- 
trines than  they  were  ready  to  imagine  ;  and  he 
had  an  undoubted  right  to  be  believed,  when  he 
declared,  as  he  has  done  in  the  letter  before  cited. 
*'  On  the  whole,  I  know  afluredly,    that  I  have 
*^  not  on  any  occafion  belied  the  real  fentiments 
**  of  my  heart. "■'''"     The  perfons  who  were  moft 
difpofed  to  find  fault  with  Dr.  Doddridge,  with 
refpedl  to  the  point  in  queftion,   were  thofe  who 
are  entitled  the  rational   diflenters.     They  could 
not  eafily  perfuade  themfelves  that  a  man  of  fuch 
abilities,   and    general  liberality  of  mind,    could 
entertain  very  different  opinions  from  their  own  ; 
and  they  wifhed  to  have   him  rank   more  expli- 
citly among  them.     It    cannot   be  denied,    that 
in  one  or  two  inflances  they  had  fome  reafon  to 
complain  of  his  timidity:  but,  at  the  fame  time, 
there  were  many  occafions  on  which  he  behav- 
ed with  a   very    becoming    fortitude.     Once,   I 
remember,    fome  narrow-minded   people  of  his 
congregation   gave  him  no   fmall   trouble  on  ac- 
count of  a  gentleman,  in  communion  v/ith  the 
church,   who  was  a   profefied   Arian,    and    who 
otherwife    departed   from    the  common  ftandard 
of  orthodoxy.      This    gentleman    they    wifhed 
either  to  be   excluded  from  the  ordinance  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  or  to  have  his  attendance  upon   it 
prevented.     But   the  Doctor   declared,    that  he 

Vvould 

*  Ibid.  p.  2i2. 


2gS    Memoirs  of  Dr,  Doddridge. 

would  facriiice  his  place,  and  even  his  life,  ra- 
ther than  fix  any  fuch  mark  of  difcouragement 
upon  one,  who,  whatever  his  doiftiinal  fen ti- 
ments  were,  appeared  to  be  a  real  chrillian. 
When  our  author  happened  to  be  in  company 
with  perfons  of  rank  and  fortune,  he  never  fuf- 
fered  the  leaft  tendency  to  profanenefs  or  licen- 
tioufnefs  to  pafs  unnoticed  ;  but  manifeiled  his 
diilike  to  them,  with  the  freedom  of  the  divine, 
accompanied  with  the  politenefs  of  the  gentle- 
man. A  correfpondent  having  charged  him 
with  unfoundnefs  in  one  of  his  publications,  his 
only  anfwer  v/as,  ^od fcripfi,  fcripfi  ',\  **  What 
**  I  have  written,  I  have  written/' 

How  fincerely  Dr.  Doddridge  detefted  the 
want  of  integrity  in  charafter,  was  difplayed  in 
the  following  fadl.  One  of  his  pupils  was  in 
the  habit  of  making  a  jeft  of  what  is  called  or- 
thodoxy, and  of  ridiculing  thofe  who  adhered  to 
it ;"  and  this  he  continued  to  do,  up  to  the  time 
in  which  he  began  to  preach.  Then,  to  the  no 
fmall  furprife  of  his  intimate  acquaintance,  it 
w^as  rumoured,  that  in  the  congregations  where 
he  bad  officiated  in  the  neighbourhood  of  North- 
ampton, he  had  appeared  highly  Calviniflical, 
and  indeed  much  more  fo  than  almoft  any  other 
of  his  fellow-fludents.  For  obvious  reafons  he 
declined  ever  preaching  at  Northampton.  At 
length,  the  affair  was  brought  before  the  Dodor  ; 
and  both  parts  of  the  charge  having  been  proved 
by  decifive  evidence,  the  young  man  was  difmif- 
{qA.  Being  a  perfon  of  fome  fortune,  he  was  not 
involved  by  his  difgrace  in  any  pecuniary  diffi- 
culties. With 

t  Letitrs  to  3  young  Chrgynvan,  p.  103. 


Memoies  of  Dr.  Doddridge,     299 

With  that  impartiality  which  is  the  duty  of 
every  biographer,  I  have  mentioned,  in  the  courfe 
of  my  narrative,  the  inflances  wherein  it  appear- 
ed to  me  that  the  charadler  of  Dr.  Doddridge 
v/as  fhaded  with  fome  degree  of  imperfeftion. 
The  fame  impartiahty  obUges  me  to  add,  that, 
at  times,  he  had  too  oftentatious  a  manner  of 
fpeaking  concerning  the  multipUcity  of  his  em- 
ployments, engagements,  and  correfpondences  ; 
and  that  he  was  fonder  of  applaufe,  from  every 
quarter,  than  w^as  defirable  in  one  who  was  fo 
juftly  entitled  to  it,  where  applaufe  was  an  hon- 
our, I  have  often  thought  that  in  certain  points 
he  had  a  refemblance  of  Cicero.  He  refemblcd 
him  in  the  love  of  fame,  and  in  not  poiTefiing 
what  may  be  called  the  flernnefs  of  fortitude. 
He  refembled  hifn  likewife  in  more  eftimablc 
qualities  ;  in  the  copioufnefs,  diffufion,  and  pa- 
thos of  his  eloquence  ;  and  in  the  fenfibilities 
and  tendernefs  of  his  mund,  efpecially  as  difplayed 
in  the  lofs  of  a  daughter. 

When  all  Dr.  Doddridge's  imperfedlions  arc 
collected  together,  they  will  be  found  to  have 
been  very  trifling  in  comparifon  with  his  excel- 
lencies. One  or  two  more  of  his  virtues  I  fliall 
touch  upon  before  I  conclude.  Few  have  ex- 
ceeded him  in  the  exercife  of  humility,  both 
w^ith  relation  to  God  and  man.  With  refpedto 
God,  it  was  apparent  in  the  deepefl  expreflions 
of  concern  for  the  defeds  of  his  improvements 
and  his  fervices  ;  and  with  regard  toman,  it  was 
manifefted  in  his  condeicenfion  to  the  meanefl 
perfons,  in  his  behaviour  to  his  pupils,  and  in  the 
patience  with  which  he  fiibmltted  to  the  words 

of 


300     Memoirs  ©f  Dr.  Doddridge. 

of  reproof.  He  was  even  highly  thankful  to  his 
friends  for  pointing  out  to  him  what  they  judg- 
ed to  be  amifs  in  his  conduft.  The  language  of 
humility  that  was  ufed  by  him,  though  undoubt- 
edly fincere,  was  fometimes  carried  to  an  excefs. 
In  a  letter  to  Dr.  Wood  of  Norwich,  he  thus 
exprefles  himfelf  :  **  Pity  me,  and  pray  for  me, 
**  as  you  do,  in  the  midft  of  fo  many  hurries. 
'*  Oh,  my  poor,  poor  attempts  of  fervice  !  They 
*'  fhame  me  continually.  My  prayers,  my  fer- 
**  mons,  my  ledures,  my  books  (in  hand)  my 
**  letters,  all  daily  fhame  me.*'*  Nothing  can 
vindicate  fuch  humiliatino-  terms  from  the  charQ:e 
of  affedation  but  the  remembrance  that  the  let- 
ter was  written  under  a  peculiar  depreffion  of 
fpirits,  united  with  that  flrong  fenfe  which  iDr. 
Doddridge  always  entertained  of  the  ardour,  zeal, 
and  diligence,  with  which  the  duties  of  life 
ought  to  be  performed. 

Among  the  Dodor's  other  excellencies,  I 
might  infift  upon  the  refignation,  ferenity,  and 
cheerful nefs,  with  which  he  fubmitted  to  the, 
diftrefles  of  the  prefent  ftate.  One  of  his  afflic- 
tions, and  it  was  an  afflidion  that  called  for  the 
exercife  of  his  meeknefs  and  patience,  was  the 
unkind  treatment  which  he  fometimes  met  with 
from  thofe  who  owed  to  him  a  far  different  kind 
of  behaviour.  Few  m-en  lefs  deferved  to  be  evil 
fpoken  of;  but  to  pafs  through  the  world  with- 
out reproach  is  not  the  lot  of  the  pureft  virtue. 
Some  of  his  pupils  were  angry  with  him,  and 
let  themfelves  to  mifreprefent  his  character,  be- 
caufe  he  would  not  recommend  them  to  places 

thev 

*  X  cttcr*  to  and  from  Dr.  Doddr!Jg«,  p.  307. 


Memoirs  of  Dr,  Doddridge.     30X 

they  wifhed  for,  but  for  which  he  confcientioufly 
judged  them  to  be  unqualified.  His  kind  be- 
haviour to  them  in  other  refpeds  did  not  com- 
penfate,  in  their  eftimation,  for  the  wound  he 
had  given  to  their  felf-opinion.^  This  is  a 
difficulty  which  has  been  experienced  by  others, 
who,  from  their  fituations  among  the  diflen- 
ters,  a:e  fuppofed  to  have  any  influence  in 
recommending  to  vacant  congregations.  Dr. 
Doddridge  was  even  afperfed  in  the  cafe  of  a 
guardianfhip,  w^here  he  had  adled  with  the  ut- 
moft  probity,  friendfhip,  and  benevolence. -[- 
Whatever  was  the  ill  ufuage  to  which  he  was 
expofed,  he  fuftained  it  with  mildnefs,  and  was 
always  ready  to  manifeft  a  forgiving  temper. 
Nothing  could  be  farther  from  his  charadler  thaa 
a  refentful  difpofition. 

Upon  the  whole,  Dr.  Doddridge  was  not  on- 
ly a  great  man,  but  one  of  the  moft  excellent 
and  ufeful  chriftians,  and  chriftian  miniflers, 
that  ever  exifted.  The  imprefiion  of  his  nu- 
merous and  amiable  virtues  will  not  be  effaced 
from  my  mind  fo  long  as  it  retains  any  fenfe  of 
feeling  or  reflection.  So  far  v/ili  be  the  impreflioa 
from  being  loft  upon  me,  that  I  ihall  always 
cherifh  it  with  the  utmoft  ardour  ;  and  I  efleem 
it  as  no  fmall  felicity  of  my  life,  that  T  have  been 
prefer ved  to  give  this  teftimony  of  duty,  grati- 
tude, and  affedion,  to  the  memory  of  my  bene- 
factor, my  tutor,  my  friend,  and  my  father. 

•  Orton,  ubi  fupra,  p.  219  f   Ibid.p    232, 


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*^  coloured,  in  a  Journey  to  Margate.  Publtfhed  from  the  Original 
Defiuns.  By  George  K^ate,  El'q.  Adorned  with  a  handlbme  Frontii- 
j>itce. 

(In  one  Volume  06lavo,— -loyS.) 

ZELUCO  :  Various  Views  of  Men  and  Man- 
ners.   By  John  Moore,  M.  D. 
(Fn  two  handfonie  Volumes  Oflavo, — 21/) 

A  View   of  Society   and    Manners   in    France^ 

Switzerland,  Germany  and  It.dy  j  with  Anecdotes  relative  to  feme  emi- 
nent Characters.     By  the  lame. 

(In  one  Volume  limo. — 6/.) 

A  Tour  through  Sicily  and  Malta,  in  a  Series  of 

Letters,     lly  P.  Brydone. 
(tn  one  Volume  limo. — 6s.) 

The  Life  of  Bar  on  Frederic  'Trench,  containing 

I)is  Adventures,  his  cruel  and  exceflive  Sufferings,  during  ten  Years  Im- 
priConment  in  the  Fortrefs  of  Maodehurg,  by  command  of  the  late  King 
of  PrufTia.     Alfo,  Anecdotes  Hiftorical,  Political  and  Perfonal. 

(In  two  Volumes  iimo.' — os.) 

POEMS.    By  Wilhain  Cowper,  of  the  Inner- 

Temple  j  including  the  TASK,  in  fix  Bocks — The  Poems  or  Tafk  may 
be  had  feparate, — ^fb  each. 

(In  one  Volm-np^  xzmo'.—^f.) 

LETTERS    from    the     Dead    to  the  Living. 

By  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Rowe, 
Alfo  may  be  had  as  above,  the  following  Books,  lately  ptiblifhed, 

Adams*s  Viev/   of  Religion — Jenyn's  View  of 

the  Infernal  Evidence  of  Chrif^ian  Religion.— Pike's  Abridgment  of 
Arithmeiic. — B^aii's  Lectures  abridged. — Farmer's  Friend  ;  or,  Kiftory 
of  Charles  Worthy.^— Harris's  Natural  Hif^ory  of  ihe  Bible — Seraphical 
Young  Shepherd. — GoidCinith's  Ellays  and  Pcems. — Julia  dc  Roubigne.-—* 
Beauties  of  Poetry,  Fnglifh  and  American, — Bennett's  Letters  to  a  young 
Lady. — Boyle's  Voyages — Compk-te  Letter  V/riter. — Dana's  Seleflion. — 
Death  of  Cain  and  Abel. — Foreflers  ;  an  American  Tale. — Miftory  of 
America.— Knox's  Edays.— Blarr's  Sermons, 

^*^  A  general  Supply  of  the  moft  approved  American  y 

En^Upjy  IriP)  and  Scotch  T uh\ica\ions  ore  regular h'  rece't'ved  and  for  fale 
nt  the  abo've  Store ;  ^jchere  facial  or  fri-oate  Libraries  ivitl  be  jurnijljed  on 
^s   renfonable  Terms  as  at   any  other  Bookfore  on  ihe  Continent. 
W}tb  a  large  Affortmmt  of  Stationarj,  School  Booh<y  ^c. 


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